Hubballi: The education department has launched a district-wide inspection drive to monitor and evaluate the rollout of bilingual medium of instructions in primary schools, following a state govt directive.The initiative aims to bridge the gap in terms of medium education and help govt school students compete with private schools on an equal footing.All 756 primary schools in the district have officially transitioned to a bilingual medium of instructions for the 2026-27 academic year. To ensure a smooth transition, primary school teachers underwent training in bilingual teaching methods, with education department officials visiting schools to assess progress and identify operational challenges.Renuka Amalazari, the assistant project coordinator of Rashtriya Mashyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, told TOI the govt has replaced the earlier Nali-Kali system. All govt schools in 15 districts, including Dharwad, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Bengaluru, were converted into monograde bilingual classrooms. Teachers must teach in both English and Kannada.As many as 2,600 govt teachers received training from Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) and DIET. Training was conducted inApril and May.H M Fadneshi, the block education officer, Hubballi City, said textbooks have been printed in both languages. Once every 15 days, teachers’ workshop on bilingual education will be conducted, with classroom challenges addressed by the resource persons concerned.Maruthi Bhajantri, the headmaster of the govt higher primary school in Chalamati, said bilingual education makes quality English exposure accessible to students. Early bilingualism will not only boost academic outcomes but also enhance students’ confidence in secondary education.
