Two Students Sustain English Medium Government School in Kanniyakumari

quick Summary

• At the government primary school in Rethinapuram village, Kanniyakumari district, only two students are enrolled for the academic year-one in Class IV and another newly admitted to Class I.
• The school previously had 11 students but experienced a decline over the years, exacerbated after COVID-19 when many students shifted to private schools.
• The sole teacher at the school handles both students and remarked that most previous enrollees either passed out of Class V or transferred to other schools locally.
• Breakfast and noon meals for these two students are brought from a nearby government primary school in Ananthapuram.
• The school staff conducted outreach efforts requesting villagers to enroll their children to prevent potential closure; more admissions may occur during upcoming term breaks.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The dwindling enrollment at Rethinapuram’s English medium government primary school highlights critical challenges faced by public education systems in rural India. Declining trust in quality standards, coupled with post-pandemic shifts toward private education alternatives, has left such institutions underutilized. Despite offering essential services like free meals and personalized attention due to small class sizes, social perceptions of better opportunities elsewhere undermine support for these schools.

This case exemplifies deeper policy concerns regarding equitable access to quality education across socio-economic groups and regions. Addressing this issue will require innovative approaches like improving infrastructure or expanding curriculum options that can make government schools competitive with private alternatives while ensuring sustainability.

[Published – September 03, 2025 07:26 pm IST]