Schools following the State Board curriculum in Karnataka—including government, aided, and private-unaided institutions—are experiencing a sharp year-on-year decline in student enrollment. This year alone, the total number of students across State Board schools has decreased by a staggering 5.22 lakh compared to the previous academic year.
Government schools have been hit the hardest, seeing a reduction of approximately 2.54 lakh students. Aided schools recorded a decrease of 77,000 children, while private unaided schools also saw a significant drop of 1.7 lakh students.
For the academic year 2025-26, the admissions for students from classes 1 to 10 concluded on July 31, 2025, with a total of 99,47,261 students enrolled. This figure is notably lower than the 1,04,69,944 (1.04 crore) children enrolled in 2024-25, and even further below the 1,05,94,694 (1.05 crore) students from 2023-24.
Diving Deeper into Government School Trends
In 2025-26, government schools enrolled 38,20,393 children, aided schools 11,09,583, private unaided schools 46,66,722, and other institutions (managed by social welfare and minorities departments) 3,50,563. Contrast this with 2024-25, when government schools had around 40.74 lakh students, aided schools 11.86 lakh, and private unaided schools 48.36 lakh.
Data reveals that between 2023-24 and 2025-26, government schools experienced a cumulative enrollment decrease of about 7.26 lakh. Over the same period, private schools saw a much smaller decline of just 31,000 students. Interestingly, despite a 1.39 lakh increase in private school enrollment from 2023-24 to 2024-25, this year saw a reversal with a 1.7 lakh drop.
Education experts suggest that a declining birth rate and other contributing factors are primarily responsible for this alarming trend in school enrollments.
“The decreasing birth rate is certainly a factor. However, the consistent decline in government school enrollment is particularly worrying. To ensure the survival of government schools, the administration must prioritize increasing enrollment,” stated V.P. Niranjanaradhya, a development educationist. He emphasized the critical need for improved basic infrastructure, filling teacher vacancies, and delivering high-quality education.
Allegations of Technical Glitches in SATS
The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), representing private school managements, has attributed a portion of the student enrollment decline to “technical errors” within the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS).
“Due to technical issues with SATS, many private schools were unable to update student information. The DSEL recently blocked SATS, and we have formally requested the department to reopen it so schools can accurately enter student data. Additionally, a rising migration of students from State Board schools to Central Board schools like CBSE and ICSE is another significant reason for the decrease in our student numbers,” explained Shashikumar D., General Secretary of KAMS.
In response, K.V. Trilok Chandra, Commissioner of Public Instruction, acknowledged the seriousness of the enrollment decline. “We are focusing on enhancing basic infrastructure and quality education to attract more children to government schools. The government has already launched initiatives to expand the number of KPS schools and other measures,” he said, while refuting the claims of errors in the SATS system.