Nalgonda Tops Nation in Zero-Enrolment Government Schools

 Nalgonda: The steady rise in zero-enrolment government schools in Nalgonda district has raised serious concerns over the education department’s failure to ensure access to free education, particularly for children from poor and marginalised families.

Of the 5,149 government schools across the country reporting zero student enrolment, as many as 315 are located in Nalgonda district, accounting for nearly seven per cent of the total. The district now tops the national list of so-called “ghost schools.” In the 2025-26 academic year alone, the number of zero-enrolment schools in the district rose to 315, reflecting a continuing trend of closures citing lack of students.

According to a statement placed in the Lok Sabha by the Union education ministry, nearly 300 of these 315 zero-enrolment schools are government primary schools. Of the remaining institutions, four are high schools and eight are upper primary schools. Around 150 such schools are concentrated in six tribal-dominated mandals — Chandampet, Devarakonda, Peddavura, Neredukommu, Tirumalgiri (Sagar) and Gundlapally.

Residents said many parents initially shifted their children to private schools believing they offered better quality education. However, within a few years, families realised that the high fees were consuming their entire income and pushing them into debt.

The government primary school at Bommapally village in Kanagal mandal was closed three years ago. With a population of around 500, the village once had about 50 school-going children. Private school buses now regularly pick up students from the village. Villagers recalled that even a decade ago, the government school had a stable strength of 50 students, which did not decline even during drought-induced migration.

Villagers blamed teachers and education officials for failing to create awareness and remove misconceptions about the quality of education in government schools. Dubba Krishna, a resident of Bommapally, said that when student strength fell to 10, the teacher reportedly advised parents to send their children to private schools. His family now pays Rs 56,000 annually as school fees for two children, which he described as a heavy financial burden.

Similarly, Jogu Parvathamma from Bantugudem village, where the government primary school was closed four years ago, said 20 children from the village now attend private schools in a nearby town. Her family spends nearly Rs 80,000 a year to educate three children. She appealed to district authorities to reopen the school, questioning whether it would be revived if at least 10 students were re-enrolled.

BRSV state general secretary Bommaraboina Nagarjuna said once government schools were closed due to low enrolment, education officials made little effort to counter misinformation spread by private institutions regarding the quality of public education.

Peoples’ Voice for Child Rights general secretary K. Subash warned that closure of primary schools would deepen educational inequality, increase malnutrition and raise dropout rates in rural areas. He pointed out that children from poor families also lose access to mid-day meals when shifted to private schools, and urged the state government to reopen all closed government schools in Nalgonda district from the next academic year.