BENGALURU: Karnataka’s KREIS (Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society) schools continue to outperform government-run ones in board examinations, but a severe shortage of teaching staff threatens to undermine their long-term success. Currently, just 9,000 teachers are responsible for educating over 2.12 lakh students.
The demanding nature of these postings has deterred many educators from accepting positions, according to officials from the Social Welfare Department, which oversees the schools. They are urging the government to offer incentives or increase salaries to attract and retain qualified teachers.
Despite these challenges, KREIS schools have achieved remarkable academic results this year. They recorded a 91% pass rate in the SSLC exams — significantly higher than the state average of 62.34% — and a 91.64% pass rate in the 2nd PUC exams, far surpassing the 57.11% recorded by government colleges.
KREIS operates approximately 822 schools, primarily serving students from severely disadvantaged backgrounds, including children of sanitation workers, nomadic tribes, former Devadasis, rescued bonded labourers and other vulnerable communities. Many of these students are first-generation learners. Impressively, 34.10% of students earned distinctions and 55.90% achieved first-class results.
The average score rose from 71.54% last year to 78% this year, and 71 students ranked among the top scorers. Officials credit this success to the KREIS schools’ holistic support system. Unlike regular government institutions, these residential schools provide for every basic need — including toiletries, uniforms and textbooks — entirely free of cost. This approach allows students from Classes 6 to 12 to focus entirely on their education, while promoting confidence and self-discipline in a supportive environment.
However, the current teacher-student ratio is raising alarms. Officials warn that the burden on existing staff is unsustainable and may compromise the quality of education over time. “Many teachers avoid KREIS postings due to the high workload and inadequate pay,” said a teacher from a KREIS school in Koppal. “If this continues, larger class sizes and staff burnout will become the norm. The only way to maintain quality is to improve compensation and provide incentives to attract skilled educators.”
In a progressive move this year, the department introduced a policy to admit orphaned children directly into KREIS schools, reserving 50% of seats for them without entrance exams. This initiative aims to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and guarantees free education from Class 6 through Class 12.