In the Udumalpet district of Tamil Nadu, on the Palani road is located this Municipal Primary school. The school, which can house 75 students, currently has only one student, Mohammed Adin, studying Class V.
Incidentally, there is also only one teaching faculty in the institution, A Sivakami, who is the school’s headmistress. Speaking to a news daily, she said the school had some 100 students 15 years back. However, “Now it has only a boy student–Mohammed Adin, in Class V.”
According to her, the school’s strength dropped over the years as residents of VP Puram relocated to Mariamma Nagar following a drive by the Udumalpet Municipality. Also, parents were keen on sending their children to private-run English medium schools. “Many students of the VP Nagar were studying in the school. They joined another school when they were relocated.”
Sadly, Adin now wants to leave the school after his annual exam, slated between May 6 and 13. He has been the lifeline of the school this entire academic year. With Adin planning to move out, the school is staring at the possibility of closing down unless some new students enroll.
So to prevent the school from closing down, education department officials are launching a campaign to attract students from adjacent areas and other private schools. Headmistress Sivakami says during the drive, they would create awareness among parents and children about the perks of studying in government schools.
K Palanisamy, education officer (Udumalpet), said that a report on the school had been sent to both the district administration and the state government.
Reference: The Times of India