Chennai: “In the 14,829 government primary schools in Tamil Nadu, there are fewer than 30 students enrolled across all five classes combined. The Tamil Nadu government should take up the revitalization of government schools as a special campaign,” said PMK leader Anbumani.
In a statement issued in this regard, he said, “People have lost faith in government schools; if this situation continues, these figures have been released as a warning to the government to make it realize that a closure ceremony may have to be held for the above 14,829 schools.
According to the statistics released regarding student enrollment in Tamil Nadu government schools, out of a total of 24,349 government primary schools, 14,829 schools—meaning 60.90% of the schools—have fewer than 30 students enrolled across all five classes combined. Even among them, 6,635 schools have fewer than 20 students, and 3,027 schools have fewer than 10 students.
The number of government primary schools with 20 to 30 students is 5,167. These data show that the number of students studying in government schools is declining at a faster pace than expected.
The point that needs to be noted here is that more than half of the roughly 15,000 schools with fewer than 30 students are located in the northern districts. In particular, the five northern districts of Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Salem, Cuddalore, and Tiruvallur have 3,062 government primary schools with fewer than 30 students enrolled. It is noteworthy that this accounts for 20.65 percent of the government primary schools with low student strength.
The decline in the number of students in government schools has been an ongoing story for more than the past decade. The number of students studying in government schools was 45.10 lakh in the 2024-25 academic year. In the 2025-26 academic year, this number has fallen to 43.03 lakh. That is, the number of students in government schools has decreased by 2.07 lakh in a single year.
Previously, in the 2022-23 academic year, the number of students studying in government schools was 50.42 lakh. Compared with that, the number of government school students has decreased by 7.39 lakh over 3 years. In 2015-16, the number of students in government schools was 75.52 lakh. However, over 11 years, student enrollment has declined by 32.49 lakh. That is, the number of students studying in government schools has decreased by 43.02% over 11 years.
Why is the number of students in government schools declining? No research is needed to find out. The Pattali Makkal Katchi has been emphasizing for the past 15 years that the reason for this is the lack of an adequate number of teachers in government schools and the absence of even basic infrastructure in them. If a government primary school with five classes has only one or two teachers, how can they teach students of all classes? Which parent would want their children to study in schools where no lessons are being taught at all? If the Tamil Nadu government finds answers to these questions, it can find a solution to the decline in the number of government school students.
Based on the statistics available in the public domain, student enrollment in government schools has been declining year after year for the past 12 years. In not even a single year has the number of students in government schools increased. All these details are well known to the Tamil Nadu government. The central government also releases statistics related to this every year.
The Pattali Makkal Katchi has also been insisting every year that the government should take steps to increase student enrollment in government schools. However, the government has not taken any action to resolve the problems and increase the number of students in schools.
If this situation continues, within a few years there will be no choice but to hold closure ceremonies for schools with low student enrollment. If that is to be prevented, the government must take steps to appoint teachers in government schools in adequate numbers and improve infrastructure facilities. For this, the funds allocated to the School Education Department should be increased immediately by 50 percent, and by 100 percent over the next three years. He has said that the Tamil Nadu government should take up the revitalization of government schools as a special campaign.