Spoken At Home, Failed In Exams: One In Five SSLC Students Failed In Kannada

Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 13:07 IST

The variation in pass percentages across districts has further highlighted systemic gaps. Mysuru district, where Kannada is widely spoken at home, recorded a 68% pass in Kannada.

Many students, progress to higher classes without mastering basic reading and writing skills, which later affects their performance in board exams. Image: AI

Language performance in board examinations often reflects more than a student’s effort. It points to classroom practices, early learning gaps, and how languages are taught over the years. This year’s Karnataka SSLC results have brought renewed attention to Kannada education, after a significant number of students failed the language paper across the state.

Nearly one-fifth of students who appeared for the Karnataka SSLC examinations failed the Kannada language paper in 2024-25. Of the approximately 8.42 lakh students who took the exams, 1,65,080 did not clear Kannada.

This included 1,32,175 students who studied Kannada as a first language, 30,913 as a second language, and 1,992 as a third language, indicating that the issue cuts across learning categories.

Kannada Development Authority Steps In

Following the results, the Kannada Development Authority constituted a committee in July 2025 to examine the reasons behind the high failure rate. The panel, chaired by Professor Purushotham Bilimale, includes educationists and language experts and is expected to submit its findings to the Department of School Education and Literacy in the coming weeks.

According to Professor Bilimale, the primary issue is weak foundational learning in Kannada during early school years. Many students, he said, progress to higher classes without mastering basic reading and writing skills, which later affects their performance in board exams.

Another major concern flagged by the committee is the shortage of trained Kannada teachers. In several schools, teachers from non-language subjects are assigned to teach Kannada, despite lacking formal training in language pedagogy.

District-Wise Gaps Highlight Teaching Issues

The variation in pass percentages across districts has further highlighted systemic gaps. Mysuru district, where Kannada is widely spoken at home, recorded a pass percentage of 68% in Kannada.

In contrast, coastal districts such as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Karwar reported pass rates exceeding 90%. Experts say this disparity shows that home language exposure alone does not guarantee academic success without effective classroom instruction.

Education expert Niranjan Aardhya, a member of the committee, pointed out that language learning gaps often begin in primary school and widen as students move to higher classes. He stressed the need for trained language teachers at early stages, warning that relying on teachers from unrelated subjects weakens students’ long-term language skills.

Teachers say the problem is visible well before students reach Class 10. A Kannada teacher from Bannigola in Ballari district noted that many students entering Class 8 struggle with basics, including reading simple words or writing their own names in Kannada, making it difficult to cope with the SSLC syllabus later.

Foundational Literacy Efforts Fall Short

In response to learning gaps, the education department has introduced Foundational Literacy and Numeracy initiatives. Under this programme, the first two months of language classes focus on letters, basic vocabulary, and sentence formation before moving to the prescribed syllabus. While teachers say the approach has helped some students, it has not yet led to a substantial reduction in failure rates.

The SSLC results have reopened discussions on curriculum design, teacher training, and the need for sustained reforms in Kannada education. With the committee’s report expected soon, its recommendations could play a key role in reshaping how Kannada is taught in Karnataka’s schools.

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