Mangaluru: Around 20 government schools across Dakshina Kannada district have recorded zero admissions so far for the current academic year, according to the Department of Public Instruction. However, education officials said the number may change as the admission process will remain open until the end of June.
Officials stated that the final list of schools with no enrolments will be prepared only after the admission deadline on June 30. Until then, authorities expect some schools to receive admissions, potentially reducing the current figure.
Sullia reports highest number of schools without admissions
Among the educational blocks in the district, Sullia has reported the highest number of government schools with zero admissions. Seven schools in the taluk have not enrolled any students so far this academic year.
Mangaluru North follows with four schools recording no admissions, while Mangaluru South has three such institutions. Moodabidire and Puttur educational limits have reported two schools each with zero enrolments.
Officials noted that no government schools in Belthangady have reported zero admissions this year, making it the only educational block in the district without any such cases.
Final assessment to be made after June 30
Sumangala S Nayak, Deputy Project Coordinator of Samagra Shiksha Karnataka (SSK), said the situation remains fluid as admissions are still ongoing.
According to officials, schools that fail to attract any students may be temporarily closed until enrolments resume. However, authorities pointed out that such closures are not always permanent.
Citing a recent example, Nayak said a government school in Sullia that had recorded zero admissions during the previous academic year has reopened this year after receiving a few student admissions. The case highlights the possibility of schools becoming functional again when enrolment numbers improve.
Aided schools continue to face challenges
Education department officials said consolidated data regarding zero admissions in aided and unaided schools for the current academic year is yet to be compiled.
Historically, aided institutions have been among the worst affected by declining enrolment trends. Unlike government schools, aided institutions do not receive the same level of financial support, making their operations more challenging when student numbers fall.
Officials said many managements of aided Kannada-medium schools are reluctant to continue operations due to poor financial viability. The absence of permanent teaching posts and increasing operational costs have further added to their difficulties.
In several cases, school managements have preferred to shut down institutions or convert them into English-medium or CBSE-affiliated schools to attract more students and remain financially sustainable.
Declining enrolment impacts school network
District education records indicate that the issue is not new. Data collected over the last five years shows that 90 primary and secondary schools in Dakshina Kannada recorded zero admissions and were subsequently shut down.
The closures included both aided and unaided institutions, reflecting a broader trend of declining enrolment in certain schools across the district.
Education experts attribute the trend to several factors, including migration of families to urban centres, growing preference for English-medium education, and increasing competition from private institutions.
While authorities remain hopeful that some schools will secure admissions before the deadline, the situation continues to raise concerns about the future sustainability of several educational institutions in the district.