One in Five Karnataka SSLC Students Fail Kannada; Expert Committee Investigates

• Approximately 1.65 lakh out of 8.42 lakh Karnataka SSLC students failed Kannada in 2024-25, highlighting significant language education challenges.
• The Kannada Development Authority formed a committee, chaired by Professor Purushottam Bilimale, to investigate the high failure rates and recommend solutions.
• Key issues identified include weak foundational language skills from early schooling and a severe shortage of trained Kannada teachers, with non-language teachers often assigned to teach Kannada.
• Disparities in pass percentages across districts (e.g., Mysuru 68% vs. coastal districts >90%) suggest that home language use alone doesn't ensure academic success without effective classroom instruction.
• The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy program aims to address basic skill gaps, but teachers note it hasn't significantly reduced failures, emphasizing the need for systemic reforms.

Why It Matters: High Kannada failure rates in Karnataka SSLC expose deep flaws in foundational language teaching and teacher training.