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Bilingual edu policy by next academic year: K’taka minister
Karnataka will introduce a bilingual education policy in government schools, teaching both Kannada and English to enhance student opportunities and proficiency.
Karnataka will implement a bilingual education policy in government schools across the state within the next academic year, School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa announced saying the move is intended to improve English proficiency among students while retaining Kannada as the primary language foundation.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Bangarappa said Kannada and English would both be used as mediums of instruction under the new model. The policy, he said, is aimed at helping government school students compete with their counterparts in private schools and access wider educational and employment opportunities.
“Our priority will always be Kannada. However, to ensure our children do not fall behind at the global level, English will be used as a medium of instruction instead of just being taught as a language. This will be of great benefit to children from rural areas,” the minister said.
Bangarappa said the decision followed encouraging results from bilingual and English-medium sections introduced in selected Karnataka Public Schools and other government institutions. According to the minister, those schools recorded increased student enrolment and stronger interest from parents.
“Our goal is to provide quality education that prepares our students for global opportunities without compromising our linguistic heritage. By introducing a bilingual policy, we are ensuring social justice for children from rural and economically weaker backgrounds who may not have access to private English-medium education,” he said.
As part of the roll-out, the education department plans to provide specialised teacher training to help instructors adapt to bilingual classrooms. Bangarappa said efforts were also underway to improve teachers’ English communication skills in collaboration with organisations like the British Council.
He added that the curriculum and textbooks would be revised to ensure an effective balance between Kannada and English instruction.
The minister also responded to questions regarding recent SSLC and PUC examination results. He said transparency in examinations had improved through the use of webcasting and monitoring measures, though he acknowledged that there was scope for better academic performance.
Bangarappa said the government was focusing on improving educational quality rather than only examination outcomes and expressed confidence that ongoing reforms would produce better results in the coming years.
The education department is expected to issue a detailed circular outlining the implementation process, teacher training framework and academic guidelines for the bilingual policy in the coming month.
