The School Literacy and Education Department on Wednesday started a special drive to enrol students for government primary schools, which will have a bilingual medium of education (Kannada and English), from this academic year.

Dakshina Kannada is among the 15 districts in the State where bilingual teaching in government primary schools will start from the 2026-27 academic year.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, Block Education Officers of Mangaluru South and Mangaluru North H.R. Eshwar and James Cutinho said from Wednesday they started visiting houses in rural and urban areas to encourage parents to enrol their wards to 560 government primary schools in the district. They will also convince parents to enrol their wards to the 20 Pradhan Mantri School For Rising India (PMSHRI) and nine Karnataka Public Schools in the district.

The drive will be held at the block level on May 15, at the hobli level on May 18, and at the cluster level on May 20, the two officials said.

Mr. Eshwar said as a part of the drive they have been given a target to increase the enrolment by 5% and 10% in primary schools and KPS/PMSHRI schools, respectively, in 2025-26.

The two officials said the teachers have been trained to teach bilingually in primary schools. The students will receive books that will have text in Kannada and English.