BBMP schools and colleges see record rise in admissions

Over 25,000 students have enrolled, though civic body has capacity to support only 18,000

The reopening of physical classes in schools is proving to be a novel challenge to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The civic body is faced with the problem of plenty, given an increase in the number of admissions to the educational institutions it runs.

The BBMP runs 91 nursery (pre-primary), 16 primary and 33 high schools, 16 pre-university colleges and five-degree colleges. This year, the number of admissions is upwards of 25,000, though the current infrastructure can support only around 18,000 students. Enrollment is likely to rise as the admission process to pre-primary schools that reopened only on November 8 is still under way.

Apart from the shortage of teachers, the schools and colleges do not have the required infrastructure to support these many enrollments. “The current infrastructure can support only 18,000 students. Enrollment in primary schools has increased considerably when compared to pre-COVID times,” siad Umesh B.S., BBMP Assistant Commissioner (Education), told The Hindu.