Mysuru: In a bid to offer bilingual education from the 2026-27 academic year, the department of school education and literacy has upgraded 137 lower primary schools in Chamarajanagar district. Students from Classes 1 to 5 will be taught in both Kannada and English medium in these schools.The initiative aims to attract more students to govt schools, improve enrolment and provide quality education.Apart from this, the department has also started LKG and UKG sections in 67 govt schools in Chamarajanagar district. This move also discouraged parents from enrolling their children in private schools, attracting them to English medium education. The department has brought out new textbooks like Balachethana books to teach kindergarten section students from this year.The department has also trained its existing teachers to conduct bilingual classes by conducting several workshops and training sessions.To attract students to govt-run schools, the department has also made reforms and changes in its schools, like directing the headmasters of all schools to come up with an annual calendar of events, including conducting parent-teacher meetings, promotion of sports, cultural activities, study tours, arranging transportation facilities by taking the help of donors and parents, distribution of school uniforms, textbooks, shoes, and effective implementation of govt schemes initiated for promotion of quality education.Directions were also given to headmasters to prepare annual action plans of their schools, facilities needed for their schools, focusing on slow learners, bringing the school dropouts back to school, and other initiatives.As part of strengthening the teaching faculty to meet the shortage of teachers, the department has also recruited 440 guest teachers against 480 needed for the district this year, according to officials.Speaking to TOI, Chamarajanagar deputy director of school education and literacy Chandrapatil said that this department has initiated a slew of measures to strengthen govt-run schools, including upgrading selected 137 govt schools to conduct bilingual education, introducing kindergarten sections, easing teacher shortage, bringing an annual calendar of events, among other measures, to attract students to govt schools this year.Chamaraja Nagar Soliga Tribal Welfare Association vice president Mahadeva appreciated the state govt decision to upgrade govt schools with bilingual education starting from LKG to 10th standard. He said such measures helped children and parents to enrol their children in govt schools instead of private schools.
