Mangaluru:The department of school education and literacy in the state has rolled out an experimental bilingual curriculum project for the 2026–27 academic year, introducing dual-medium instruction in Kannada and English for classes 1 to 5 across 15 selected districts. The initiative is aimed at expanding access to English learning within govt schools, while retaining Kannada as a foundational medium.In Dakshina Kannada, the programme has been scaled up sharply from last year’s 271 schools to all 868 govt primary schools spread across seven blocks. To prepare staff for the shift in classroom practices, 1,541 teachers in the district have completed a specialised five-day training programme and bilingual textbooks have been distributed to schools.Teachers, however, say the rapid expansion has exposed staffing gaps, particularly in schools with enrolments below 100. A higher primary teacher within city limits said the school had received bilingual textbooks, with only a few sets pending, and had begun bilingual instruction in classrooms. The teacher said the main constraint is the lack of adequate teachers, which is forcing schools to combine multiple grades. Last year, the teacher said the Nali Kali model required fewer guest teachers, but the support has been withdrawn this year, even as bilingual instruction demands more staff time. “As a result, we are forced to combine classes 1 to 3 together,” the teacher said.A teacher from Moodubidire echoed the concern, stating that although Nali Kali has officially been removed, schools are compelled to continue combined-class arrangements due to teacher shortages. The teacher added that head teachers are burdened with non-academic work, leaving fewer teachers to manage teaching responsibilities. With limited staff strength, combined classes have continued in practice, the teacher said.Dakshina Kannada Primary Teachers Union president Shivaprasad Shetty said the bilingual programme has been widely welcomed. He attributed the positive response to strong parental preference for English-medium education, which has traditionally driven enrolment toward private schools. With bilingual instruction now available in govt schools, he said parents see an alternative closer to home and at lower cost. Shetty said the key hurdle is staffing, estimating an overall teacher shortage of nearly 30% across primary and higher primary schools, with some schools requiring additional teachers for effective bilingual classroom delivery.Department officials said demand for bilingual education in the district has grown steadily over the past several years. In 2019–20, only 48 schools were permitted to offer bilingual instruction. Proposals increased with parental demand, leading to approval for 271 schools in the previous academic year.
