Private schools across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have witnessed a significant increase in NRI children’s enrolment, who would otherwise have taken admission in the Gulf schools.
Father Robert D’Souza, Principal of Lourdes Central School in Bejai, told Times of India that there is a significant increase in the number of NRIs enrolling their children in schools in Dakshin Kannada.
The upturn in enrolment in the educational institutions across coastal districts has been pointed out to unemployment and a downfall in the economy.
“Admission of children of NRI parents has been steadily increasing for the past few years, but it has registered a spurt in the aftermath of the pandemic, largely owing to loss of jobs,” he was quoted as saying.
Many non-resident Indians are coming back to India after losing jobs in the Middle Eastern countries, resulting in a financial crisis. Those who have lost jobs have relocated to Mangaluru, hoping to educate their children at an affordable budget. NRIs from Gulf nations believe that education in India is more affordable.
Earlier NRI students came to India to pursue education after class X or under-graduation, but now the trend is changing.
As per media reports, Mount Carmel Central School now enrolls students starting from class V. In 2021 alone, the school have admitted around 40 NRI students. It has to say a ‘no’ to a few NRI parents due to the lack of available seats. As per the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) rules, schools are allowed to intake only 40 students in each class.
On the other hand, Presidency School (also known as PSMNG) has seen an enrolment of about 10 NRI students for the 2021-22 academic year.
Karnataka is a popular destination for only NRI school goers but also foreign students. For the 2018-19 academic year, Karnataka registered the most foreign students of 10,023 among all states. It is not to mention that Mangaluru alone records around 100 foreign students each year.
