Bengaluru: Admissions to government pre-university (PU) colleges in Karnataka have seen a significant increase, with the number of enrolled students crossing 1.6 lakh so far. In comparison, last year, government PU colleges admitted 1,37,848 students.
Enrolment Drive and Targets
The rise in enrolment at government schools and colleges is part of a sustained effort by the Department of School Education and Literacy. This year, the department set an enrolment target of 2.5 lakh for its PU colleges, and approximately 66% of this target has been achieved to date. Of the 1.6 lakh students who have joined, 99,028 are from government high schools, while 65,852 are from other boards and private schools. Admissions are still ongoing.
District-wise Performance
Some districts have performed exceptionally well, such as Kodagu and Mysuru, which achieved 97% and 93% of their targets, respectively. However, other districts like Bidar and Chikkaballapur have lagged behind, achieving only 13% and 27% of their targets, respectively. In Bengaluru North, 5,380 students have joined first-year PU in government colleges, while Bengaluru South has seen 4,588 enrolments. "We are continuously following up with the districts and ensuring admissions are happening," said Bharat S., Director of the PU Department.
Transition and Enrolment Rates
Karnataka has one of the lowest transition rates from secondary to higher secondary classes in South India. The rate for moving from Class 10 to Class 11 is 63%, according to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE). The gross enrolment ratio in higher secondary stands at 61%.
Change in Recruitment Rules
In an amendment to the Karnataka General Services (Pre-University Education) (Recruitment) Rules 2013, notified on June 18, lecturers appointed through direct recruitment and promotion will now also teach Classes 9 and 10 in schools specified by the government. An official explained, "As the Karnataka school system is split into primary, higher primary, high school, and PU, it is easy for children to drop out as they shift from one school to another. It is also for this reason that we have decided to change the recruitment rules so that the same teachers are there in high school and PU department. Students will have familiarity with the teachers and will continue in the schools for Classes 11 and 12 as well."
Textbook Distribution Challenges
For the first time, the state is offering free textbooks for government PU colleges, but they have yet to reach the institutions. "The problem is mainly with the language classes. For the core subjects, teachers are able to give notes and teach concepts. But language teachers are struggling as they really need textbooks for teaching poetry, prose, and grammar," said A.H. Ningegowda, President of the Karnataka State PU College Lecturers' Association.
The PU department reported that of the 13.4 lakh books, 11.7 lakh were dispatched on Thursday evening, with the remainder dispatched by Friday evening. Additionally, around 8 lakh old books are available with the districts. All these books will start reaching colleges within the next three to four days. "There was a slight delay in the dispatching of textbooks. But students will start receiving them in the next few days," said the PU department director.
