Meet admission targets, earn foreign tour: Karnataka announces incentive for school heads

In April 2026, schools must hold an enrolment rally and distribute pamphlets highlighting the value of education and the facilities offered in government institutions. (Photo: X/@vipinUPPSS)

To boost enrolment in government schools across Karnataka, the Department of School Education and Literacy has rolled out a new incentive programme offering foreign study tours for school heads and officials who can increase admissions

To qualify for the international tour, officials must increase student enrollment by at least 15% in the 2026-27 academic year compared to 2025-26. The target for Karnataka Public Schools and PM Shri Schools is higher, at 25%.

According to a report by The Times of India, under the incentive scheme, five deputy directors (administration), five field education officers, five primary school heads, five high school heads, and five pre-university principals who meet the targets will be selected for an international exposure trip to study global best practices. The department has yet to reveal which countries they will visit.

Schools to hold rallies, distribute info pamphlets

The enrolment awareness drive, which started on November 14, will run until June 2026, guided by a detailed activity plan for officials and school leaders. In April 2026, schools must hold an enrolment rally and distribute pamphlets highlighting the value of education and the facilities offered in government institutions.

The brochures must showcase schemes such as free textbooks and uniforms, mid-day meals, supplementary nutrition, scholarships, distribution of shoes and socks, transport services, and home-based education for children with special needs.

Between February and March 2026, officials are required to carry out a comprehensive survey to identify children eligible for admission, those who have dropped out, and those who are consistently absent. The children identified will then be mapped to nearby schools or colleges, the report added.

The survey must also prepare a list of daily-wage families across both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. School heads are expected to personally meet parents whose children are engaged in labour and counsel them to send their wards back to school.

Vulnerable groups—such as ragpickers, child labourers, sick children, children with special needs, orphans, and migrant children—will be placed in Netaji Awasiya Vidyalayas, transit homes, or government residential schools based on their learning levels. Schools are further encouraged to hold cultural outreach programmes featuring stories, songs, plays, Yakshagana, folk performances and street theatre.

To broaden outreach, the campaign may also use radio and TV broadcasts, newspaper advertisements, documentaries, audio messages, and posters. Each district must appoint an education ambassador to promote government schools. School Development Monitoring Committees (and College Development Committees for PU colleges) must meet regularly to review progress.

Special observances—including Constitution Day on November 26 and World Disabled Persons Day on December 3—will be marked through themed events. A children’s learning festival will be organised to highlight academic progress, while a mock parliament on December 26 will showcase developments in government schools and colleges. In January, SDMCs will hold programmes showcasing improved learning environments and positioning government schools as centres of excellence.

Major awareness activities under the campaign will be led by district commissioners and zilla panchayat CEOs.

“There are several programmes that school heads and department officials must complete during the awareness drive. If they meet the criteria and achieve the required increase in enrolment, the department will take them to foreign countries to observe global best practices. We have not yet finalised the destinations,” Vikas Kishor Suralkar, Commissioner, Department of School Education, was quoted by TOI as saying.

“This is part of our broader incentivisation programme. Other components for which teachers will be rewarded include completing training programmes, improving the school ecosystem, introducing innovative teaching methods, and reducing dropouts,” Rashmi Mahesh, Principal Secretary, Department of School Education, told the newspaper.

“We plan to offer a basket of incentives that teachers can choose from—continuing in the same school without transfer, selecting the school they want to work in, foreign or interstate study tours, or opportunities to work with the Department of State Educational Research and Training, among others. These programmes will be rolled out periodically,” she added.