The Karnataka State government has ordered the start of Early Child Care Education (ECCE) pre-primary classes in 4,056 government schools from the academic year 2026-27. These will include LKG and UKG classes aimed at local children aged four to five. Currently, pre-primary classes run in 2,619 government schools, started over the past seven years. The State Budget 2025-26 had announced adding pre-primary classes in 5,000 more government schools with an estimated budget of ₹70 crore. On November 14, 2025, the government released a list of 4,056 schools for ECCE implementation this year. Of these, 1,105 schools are under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka scheme. Another 126 are PM Shri schools, 1,126 are operated by the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB), and 1,699 are Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) magnet schools. The ECCE classes will start in 2026-27 for KPS schools, where dedicated classrooms will be built. In the other schools, classes will happen in anganwadis located on school grounds. Each class will enroll 20 to 40 children. The Department of School Education and Literacy said, "Permission has been given to appoint one teacher and one helper for each pre-primary class." Teaching will be bilingual, in English and Kannada. The government also stated that children will receive mid-day meals, hot milk, and nutritious supplements including eggs and bananas. These follow the nutrition guidelines of the Union government's mid-day meal scheme.