Krishnagiri: Single-teacher schools make parents turn to private schools

Krishnagiri: S. Sathya of Ratnagiri, 23, near Mugalur village in Rayakottai of Krishnagiri has decided to admit her seven-year-old daughter Gomathi in a private school next year.

The woman, wife of a construction worker and she herself working as a farm hand, have taken such a decision because the government elementary school in her village lacks teacher facility.

“Our monthly income is below Rs 10,000 and are ready to admit our daughter in a private school not minding the expenses involved in it. We took such a costly decision because our children are unable to get quality education in government-run school of our place,” Sathya said.

Her daughter Gomathi studies in the government Elementary School in Ratnagiri, which has a total student strength of 27 pupils. One teacher G.Subramanian who is also the school headmaster takes classes for them, studying from class one to fifth standard.

“With no help, the teacher makes the children to sit in a single classroom and run the classes. This does not help our children to get quality education as in the private schools,” V. Chitra (27) told DC.

Chitra’s eight-year-old son Poovarasan, studying in class three will also turn away from the government-run school next year because of the same reason as claimed by Sathya.

Chitra said, “our village school was started in 2005 with a student population of over 100 pupils. The number slowly declined after 2012 due to the issue of lack of teaching staff.”

The woman continued: “We are ready to support the government-run institution if the district education department comes forward to fill the vacant posts in our school.”

K.P. Maheshwari, the chief education officer for Krishnagiri said, “very few function as single-teacher school and others have been upgraded either through government appointment or with the support of Ashok Leyland's CSR programme. The corporate will be asked to provide a teaching staff for the Ratanagiri School.”