The provision of educational facilities at pre-primary level is, as a rule, very inadequate all over
the country except in large cities, where it is a little better. For example, in Karnataka State with
a population of about 22 millions there were only about 2, 500 pre-primary schools, with an estimated
enrolment of 150, 000 children only in 1976/77. Those in the rural areas are run by the Government
through the Department of Social Welfare, which has the responsibility of looking after the interests
of the socially, educationally and economically backward classes, including mainly those that are
generally called the "Untouchables" or those classified as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Although they do some educational work, the stress is on health, child care and nutrition. The persons
in charge of these centres are not adequately qualified to discharge the responsibilities of a teacher
of a pre-primary school. The supervisory staff is also similarly unqualified from an educational
point of view. These institutions are entirely state-supported and they charge no fees. The Departments
of Education are organisationally not connected with these institutions.