No child enrolled, primary school in tribal hamlet near Tamil Nadu's Velliangiri closed

COIMBATORE: Monday marked the beginning of a new academic year else where in the State, curtains came down on the government primary school at Thanikandi, a  tribal hamlet in the foothills of Velliangiri. The school was closed down due to lack of students and the HM has been transferred.

When The New Indian Express visisted the school, headmistress S Pushpaleela was busy completing the closure formalities. This is the first school which was closed in Coimbatore district in this academic year. Pushpaleela said that there was no child aged above five in the hamlet, where 65 families. This meant there was zero admission this year.

Moreover, a few students shifted to a private school, she explained. Pushpaleela, who walks one kilometre through a forested area to reach the school, added that since last year only one student studied in class V.

"The school was started in 2015 to benefit tribal children. Nearly 70 students completed primary education so far and moved to the nearby Muttathuvayal high school. We knew there was no child aged five in the settlement, but opened the school on Monday hoping that someone would get seek admission from nearby areas at least. Besides, officers from the block education offices looked for eligible kids in every home in the settlement but there was none. So they were forced to close the school and I have been transferred," she said.

According to sources, since 2017-18, there was no admission in class I. Between 2018 and 2022, six students studied from class II to V. After completing class V, the students joined class VI at the Muttathuvayal high school which is five kilometrres away from the settlement.

Last academic year, one student completed class V and has joined the Muttathuvayal school. According to sources in school education department, there are two eligible children in the settlement but they are studying in a private school.

Though a school is located in the settlement, the two children allegedly secured admission in the school under RTE. If this is true, this is a violation. "Had the two children been admitted to the government school instead of private, the school would have functioned," sources added

Chief Educational Officer N Geetha told The New Indian Express, "Only this school has been closed as there was no admission." When asked about the RTE admission, she said an inquiry would ordered into it.