Malnad government schools struggle to stay afloat as student numbers dwindle
Walk into the government lower primary school at Kunda village in Tirthahalli taluk and you will find one empty classroom after another, with rows of
Walk into the government lower primary school at Kunda village in Tirthahalli taluk and you will find one empty classroom after another, with rows of unoccupied benches. The teacher’s chair is also unoccupied. A few minutes later, a woman emerges from the kitchen. Silence all around. This school has one student, one teacher, and one midday meal worker. On the day The Hindu visited, both teacher and student were absent. Jeevan, a class 5 pupil with physical disabilities, attends classes irregularly. His teacher, S. Kumar, divides his time between this school and another government institution at Nantur, a neighbouring village. In a village comprising over 110 families, parents have shifted their children to private schools in Kammaradi and Tirthahalli which offer transport and English-medium instruction. This has resulted in the steady depletion of students in Kunda’s rolls. School officials predict closure in the next academic year unless enrolment is miraculously revived. In the same boat This is not a situation unique to Kunda; the story repeats itself across the region.
The lower primary school at Shivalli in Nalur panchayat of Tirthahalli taluk enrolled only one student last year. This year, it has shut its doors because no students came. Several more rural schools stare at a similar fate. At Tengar in Honnethalu gram panchayat, the government higher primary school’s strength has dwindled to two class 3 students, served only by a guest teacher. The school at Nantur, which had four students last year, gained two new admissions but remains without regular faculty. Sadiq Ahmed, Cluster Resource Person, acknowledged the precarious position of schools like the one at Kunda. “The school survives for one student,” he said, adding, “Closure is inevitable next year unless admissions materialise. Meanwhile, the teacher is securing the documents and certificates the boy needs to claim his monthly disability allowance.” Malnad challenges In the Malnad region, scattered settlements and long distances between homes and schools have always posed challenges. During monsoon, children face significant difficulties commuting. This reality has pushed parents toward private institutions offering transport — a decisive advantage rural government schools struggle to match.
In the last two years, eight government schools have been closed in Tirthahalli taluk due to no admissions. In Honnethal, a school that went against all odds Presenting a picture of contrast to Kunda, the government higher primary school at Honnethal, a gram panchayat headquarter near Agumbe in Tirthahalli taluk, has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, emerging as a model rural institution that has successfully retained students and improved infrastructure through community-driven initiatives. The school’s enrolment had plummeted to just 19 students in 2016, a crisis that prompted residents and former students to launch a turnaround effort. Their sustained commitment has restored the school to good health: enrolment now stands at 134, and the campus facilities rival those of private schools. A.G. Nityanand, chairman of the School Development and Management Committee (SDMC), mobilised donors and alumni to spearhead improvements. The SDMC secured resources to hire additional teachers, launch LKG-UKG classes, establish student transport, and install essential facilities including drinking water, sanitation blocks, computers, and internet connectivity. “Our alumni have been remarkably generous,” Mr. Nityanand said, adding, “About 40 former students contribute ₹300 monthly, ₹10 daily, toward school activities.
We use this pooled fund to subsidise bus transport for students, keeping costs accessible to families. Through these coordinated efforts, we have ensured that no child from our village needs to attend a private school.” This SDMC was recently honoured as one of the best school management committees in Karnataka. N.S. Shilpa, the school’s headmistress and herself a former student, recalled the institution’s low point and said, “Only the determined efforts of the village youth prevented a complete collapse.” Today, she emphasised, the school provides education comparable to any private institution. “The quality of teaching and learning here is in no way inferior to what private schools offer.” According to her, the school’s success reflects a broader lesson: that community mobilisation, alumni engagement, and targeted infrastructure investment can revive rural government institutions and restore parental confidence in public education.
The BriefWire