Over half of Tamil Nadu's government primary schools operating with fewer than 30 students

More than half of Tamil Nadu's government primary schools are running with very low student strength, according to enrolment data cited by Pattali Makkal Katchi president Anbumani Ramadoss.

Of the state's 24,349 government primary schools, 14,829 have fewer than 30 students across all five classes combined, the PMK leader claimed. Within this group, 6,635 schools have fewer than 20 students, while 3,027 operate with fewer than 10 students in total, he said, calling the trend a matter of concern.

Northern districts account for bulk of low-enrolment schools

Five northern districts, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Salem, Cuddalore, and Tiruvallur, together account for 3,062 of the schools with low enrolment, Dr. Anbumani said.

He claimed that overall enrolment in government schools has fallen sharply, from 50.42 lakh in 2022-23 to 43.03 lakh in 2025-26, and attributed the decline to teacher shortages and inadequate infrastructure.

The PMK president urged the State government to appoint adequate teachers, improve infrastructure, and increase the allocation to the School Education Department by 50 per cent immediately and double it over the next three years. He warned that without these measures, schools with very low enrolment could face closure.

Source: The Hindu