Bengaluru's famed private schools stare at record-low admissions

The Covid-19 pandemic has left the school education sector in disarray. The closure of schools for a year and a half has not only affected the academic and psychological capabilities of children but also snatched the livelihoods of many people dependent on the sector.

While the government’s decision to reopen schools for classes 9-12 on August 23 has been welcomed, hundreds of schools across Bengaluru are staring at an all-time low in admissions. With only 15 days left to complete the admission process for the current academic year, many schools are struggling to reach the minimum target.

The pandemic-induced economic crisis, migration of people and shutdown of schools have all contributed to low school admissions this year. Data available from the Department of Public Instruction shows schools in Bengaluru North and South education districts are working hard to turn the tide around.

An official from the Education Department was candid in his assessment of the situation: “Except for a few, no school has achieved even the minimum target of 75 per cent admissions,” he said.

Read | Karnataka to open schools for classes 9 to 12 in districts where positivity rate is less than 2%: CM Basavaraj Bommai

If the figures are to be believed, the two education districts in Bengaluru rank right at the bottom among the 34 education districts in Karnataka. Most schools in other districts have reported 90-95 per cent admissions.

Private unaided schools in the city are struggling to reach even the minimum of 70 per cent admissions. Bengaluru South, which has several popular and prestigious private schools, has reported only 73 per cent of admissions and North district 74 per cent. In contrast, some government and aided schools have reported 90 per cent admissions.

“Every year, admissions to class 1 used to be in high demand. But now, all private unaided schools have failed to attract students to the first grade in both North and South districts. If you analyse the admissions to the first grade, most of the schools, regardless of their nature and affiliation, have not even achieved 50 per cent admissions,” said an office-bearer of a private schools’ association in Bengaluru.

As against the target of admitting 17.70 lakh children, schools have so far reported only 12.97 lakh admissions, a deficit of nearly five lakhs.

Arguing that the shortfall isn’t limited to unaided schools, D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, suggested that the government was fudging the admissions data. “We (private schools) are reporting the actual data, not the fake one. We believe the department hasn’t reported the correct admissions data. It’s far lower in government schools.”

The association cited several reasons for low admissions. While a few parents haven’t admitted their children deliberately, some others have genuine reasons.

“In some cases, parents are reluctant to admit their children and are trying to take shelter behind the last year’s government order on fee concession,” Kumar said. “Nobody knows if parents have actually returned to their hometowns or lost jobs. We have cases where parents haven’t admitted their kids despite living in Bengaluru. Actual admissions this year are not more than 30 per cent.”

Lokesh Talikatte, president of the Registered Unaided Private Schools’ Association, cited job losses and economic collapse as the main reasons for low school admissions in Bengaluru.

The job losses forced many parents to return to their hometowns, inevitably affecting regular admissions. Many students have shifted from expensive schools to cheaper and aided or government schools on the outskirts of the city, he said. They have seven schools (one in the city and six on the outskirts). Admissions in the schools on the outskirts are shocking while the institute in Bengaluru hasn’t reported even 50 per cent admissions, Tallikatte said.

Senior academician Dr V P Niranjanaradhya said: “Migration is perhaps one of the reasons. But even more specifically, parents are shifting their wards from high-end schools to low-budget and government schools due to financial distress. There are also chances that children from marginalised groups have dropped out of schools, and there may be duplication of admissions.”

Schools in city

1) Bengaluru North

Government schools: 546

2) Bengaluru South

Government schools: 600 plus

3) Bengaluru South and North

Unaided schools: 5,500

Aided schools: 500 plus