At the government primary school in Konapuram village in northern Telangana, Jaganmohan’s only colleague is Shreyansh. But Shreyansh’s only friend is Jaganmohan. Jaganmohan is the teacher and Shreyansh is a second grader. Together, they share a unique bond that keeps the school’s doors open, allowing hope and learning to continue.
This school has only one student and teaching him is a lone teacher. Every morning, Jaganmohan travels from the nearest town with the motivation of not letting down his only student. The classroom environment differs from that of regular educational institutions as the teacher and student sit opposite each other to begin their lessons.
According to local villagers, the school once had at least a dozen students. However, since it only offers classes up to Grade 5 those who got promoted to higher grades automatically left. The remaining younger students either migrated with their parents to other cities or joined residential schools, thus leaving Shreyansh as the school’s sole representative of the student community.
Shreyansh’s father as well as the local villagers have been adamant that the school should not be shut down. They persuaded Jaganmohan to remain and not seek a transfer. They are hopeful that more students will enrol in the next academic year.
Government schools across Telangana have been plagued with issues for some years now with low enrollment being one of them. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) Plus report for the academic year 2023-24, released by the Union Education Ministry, more than 2,000 schools in the state did not record a single student enrollment.
In Telangana, another school has garnered media attention for a similar reason—it has only one female teacher and a single student. The government primary school in Narapunenipalli village in Khammam district is a spacious institution where a chirpy girl, Keerthana, studies without any friends to play with. The fourth-grade student is supported by her teacher, Uma Parvathi, who teaches her math, science and languages.
This school was once filled with dozens of students but over the years many moved to private schools as their families’ financial conditions improved. The rest got transferred to government residential schools due to extreme poverty.
Due to pressure from local communities and as part of its social responsibility, the state government continues to spend lakhs on these schools even if it means educating just a single child.
