Only one student has taken admission in Class I at the Government Lower Primary School, Kottooli, Kozhikode, this academic year.
According to Education department sources, the situation was similar in previous years as well and there had been times when they had no students at all in Class 1. In total, the school has only three students and two teachers now. A teacher who used to work there earlier told The Hindu on Monday that they used to visit nearby houses and personally escort the students to the school. In the 2024-25 academic year, there were 10 students, and around one to two in each of the four classes. A majority of the students were children of migrant labourers then.
An official in the Education department said that the decline in student strength was not sudden, but a gradual one. Although the institution is situated in a well-populated and posh neighbourhood, the enrolment is rather low probably because the parents prefer to send their wards to private schools. The official said that because of this, the government funding is also getting reduced.
Published – June 01, 2026 07:39 pm IST
