Karnataka Offers AI as Third-Language Alternative in 1,642 Public Schools, Over 2,000 Teachers Protest

On September 21, more than 2,000 teachers protested at Bengaluru's Freedom Park against Karnataka's decision to let Classes 9 and 10 students in 1,642 government high schools replace the third language with an NSQF-aligned AI course in 2026-27. Organizers support AI education but want it as a separate skill or elective subject, and oppose a July 14 recruitment draft that they say concentrates high-school language-teacher recruitment on Kannada and English. On September 22, the issue was raised in the Legislative Council, but Chairman Saleem Ahmed did not permit a discussion.

The dispute places AI courses in public schools within the same policy framework as language education and teacher-post allocation, directly shaping how AI education is implemented in a local Indian school system. For AI education product providers, AI entering 1,642 schools as a substitute for a language course means curriculum design, teacher sourcing and timetable arrangements must be coordinated with the existing language teaching system; for teachers and schools, recruitment rules and post creation will determine whether the AI course can be sustained. The protesters' claims and the government's implementation details come from media accounts, and the final scope of the recruitment draft and actual AI enrollment figures still need official data. Classes 9 and 10 students in 1,642 government high schools can choose between an AI course and a third language, potentially reducing language enrollment. If the July 14 recruitment draft proceeds as written, high-school language-teacher recruitment may concentrate on Kannada and English, limiting posts for other languages.