Mysuru Anganwadis to Launch English-Medium Kindergarten to Boost Enrolment

Mysuru: In a significant step toward improving early childhood education, the Department of Women and Child Development will start LKG and UKG classes in 250 Anganwadi centres across Mysuru district from October this year. This initiative aims to strengthen the Anganwadi network and increase enrolment, as many centres face closure due to declining numbers.

The decision addresses a growing trend where even low-income rural families are opting for private English-medium schools, often stretching their finances. To counter this, Anganwadi workers are now being trained to conduct kindergarten classes in English, offering a cost-effective alternative to private schooling.

Currently, Mysuru district has 2,913 Anganwadi centres. Of these, the 250 selected for the pilot initiative include:

• 25 in Mysuru city,

• 29 in Mysuru taluk,

• 20 in HD Kote,

• 25 in KR Nagar,

• 35 in Biligere,

• 40 in Narasipura,

• 16 in Periyapatna,

• 30 each in Nanjangud and Hunsur.

This move marks 50 years of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), originally launched in 1975 to support the nutritional and holistic development of children under six.

To support the transition, the department has:

• Printed three sets of 50,000 English-medium books,

• Conducted district-level training for Anganwadi workers,

• Planned taluk-level training next month,

• Distributed guidance manuals,

• Instructed workers to engage in door-to-door outreach to inform and encourage parents.

Deputy Director B. Basavaraju stated that the department is fully prepared and believes this step will relieve rural and urban families from the burden of expensive private education.