Kannur: With enrolment in public schools declining steadily each year, the Kerala government has introduced a new policy aimed at attracting students from unaided schools. As part of the initiative, the Department of General Education has issued an order permitting students from classes 2 to 10 to be admitted to government schools without requiring a Transfer Certificate (TC). The move deals a blow to certain unaided school authorities who previously withheld TCs to prevent student transfers.

Under the Right to Education Act, students from class 2 to class 8 can now be admitted based on age alone. For classes 9 and 10, admission will be granted on the basis of age and performance in an entrance examination. The exam must be conducted using question papers prepared by the department and administered under the supervision of an Educational Officer.

In the last academic year, 3,55,967 students were enrolled in unaided schools across Kerala in classes 1 to 10. The government aims to attract a significant number of these students to public institutions. The student enrollment fell by 86,752 in 2023–24 compared to the 2022–23 academic year. The decline worsened in 2024–25, exceeding one lakh and reaching 1,03,005.

Anticipating a further decrease this year, the state has begun implementing measures to bolster public education through increased enrollment.

Teacher posts at risk

The decline in student numbers has raised concerns about teacher employment. Based on data from the sixth working day of the last academic year, around 3,400 class divisions were expected to be discontinued. Additionally, the fall in enrolment across class 1 to 10 could impact nearly 4,000 teaching posts.

The intake in class 1 has also seen a consistent downward trend, signalling deeper systemic challenges. The districts of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam are reportedly witnessing the sharpest declines in student numbers.