Meghana B. of Government Lower Primary School (LPS) in Mittahalli village, Mulbagal taluk in Kolar district, has been promoted to class 5 this academic year. What makes her promotion unique is that she is the lone student in the entire school, which offers education from classes 1 to 5. If there are no fresh admissions at least by next year, the school in Kolar district will have no students.

No student has been enrolled in class 1 to this school for the last four years and there is a fear that school may be closed if the trend continues.

There are a total of 72 families in Mittahalli village, with a population of around 436. But the 10 school-going children of this village have been admitted to private English-medium schools in other towns, including Mulbagal, leaving the government school nearly empty.

Facilities intact

The school has all the facilities, including classrooms, a kitchen, toilets, water, teaching aids, and furniture. Mid-day meal is provided to the lone student, besides hot milk and eggs.

“No student has been admitted to our school for the last four years in class 1. Last year, two students were studying in class 5 and one in class 4. The students in class 5 have passed and gone to another school for class 6. One student in class 4 has continued in class 5 this year. The parents of this lone student are labourers and have continued here because of financial difficulties,” said Gangadhar, the teacher of the school.

“I have been working in this school for the last 10 years. Earlier, 30 to 40 children used to study in our school. But all of them have gone to other schools after getting a transfer certificate. They all go to private English-medium schools. I have visited every house in the village before and after the school starts and tried to persuade parents to admit their children to our school. But they are not convinced,” he lamented. However, Mr. Gangadhar plans to resume his campaign again from Monday.

Krishnamurthy, Deputy Director Public Instruction (DDPI), Kolar, said that enrollment drive will be held till the end of this month. “We will visit the houses again in the village and take appropriate action to improve the enrollment,” he said.

Need for bilingualism

A few locals The Hindu spoke to said they would fight to keep the school in the village.

Harish Gowda, a native of Mittahalli, said, “A government school was started in our village about 43 years ago, and the enrollment of students was good. However, in recent years, parents have become obsessed with English medium education. We will meet the MLA of our constituency and try to get bilingual classes for our school to improve the enrollment.”