MANGALURU: According to the Department of Public Instruction, approximately 20 government schools across Dakshina Kannada district have recorded zero admissions so far this academic year. Authorities noted that the figure may change as the admission process remains open until the end of June.
Zero Admissions by Region
The highest number of government schools with zero admissions has been reported from Sullia, with seven such institutions. Mangaluru North has four schools with no admissions, while Mangaluru South has three. Moodabidire and Puttur limits each have two schools. No government schools with zero admissions have been reported from Belthangady.
Officials Await Final Data
Sumangala S Nayak, Deputy Project Coordinator of Samagra Shiksha Karnataka (SSK), stated that the final list of schools with zero admissions will be finalized by June 30. Officials indicated that schools with no enrollments may be temporarily closed until admissions resume. Citing an example, Nayak mentioned a school in Sullia that recorded zero admissions in the previous academic year but has reopened this year after receiving a few admissions.
Aided and Unaided Institutions
The department claimed that they are yet to receive consolidated data on zero admissions in aided and unaided institutions for the current year. Aided schools have historically been among the worst affected, as they do not receive government funding. Regarding aided Kannada-medium schools, officials said some managements are reluctant to continue operations due to low financial viability, lack of permanent teacher posts, and a preference to either close schools or shift them to English medium or CBSE streams.
Historical Context
District data from the past five years shows that a total of 90 primary and secondary schools recorded zero admissions and were subsequently shut down, including both aided and unaided institutions.
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About the Author: Kevin Mendonsa has over a decade of experience in writing, reporting, and editing for print media. He has been working with The Times of India as a senior correspondent (senior digital content creator) since 2015, covering education, crime, aviation, lifestyle, and other subjects.
