Telangana School Shut After Two Years With No Students Despite Teachers Attending Daily

A government school in Telangana’s Bommapally village has been shut after witnessing zero student enrolment for two consecutive years, even as teachers continued to report for duty daily. The closure has drawn attention to a deeper crisis unfolding in parts of the state’s public education system.

Located in Nalgonda mandal, the school remained operational for staff but empty for students, presenting a striking contrast between routine teacher attendance and deserted classrooms. Education officials say the situation is not isolated, with several government schools in the region facing prolonged enrolment decline.

According to Mandal Education Officer K. Arundhathi, Nalgonda mandal has 99 government schools, of which at least five — including the Bommapally institution — recorded zero enrolment for years and were formally closed during the 2018–2019 period. Factors such as migration, shrinking village populations and parental preference for private education have contributed to the trend.

Officials point out that government schools have received upgrades in infrastructure, sanitation, uniforms, textbooks and student incentives. Some schools in the mandal continue to attract students, indicating that closures are not uniform across the region.

However, residents of Bommapally describe a different reality. Locals say private school buses enter the village daily, transporting children to nearby private institutions, while the government school remains unused by students. Parents cite longer school hours, transport convenience and perceived teaching quality as decisive factors.

Working families, particularly those engaged in agriculture, say government schools dismiss students earlier in the day, leaving children unattended at home. Private schools, by contrast, offer extended hours and doorstep transport, aligning better with parents’ work schedules.

Students also echo concerns about teaching standards in government schools, reinforcing perceptions that private institutions provide better education. Education officials acknowledge that while facilities have improved, trust and perception continue to shape parental choices more strongly than policy measures.

The closure of the Bommapally school highlights a critical challenge for Telangana’s public education system: whether infrastructure improvements alone are sufficient, or if deeper engagement with rural communities is required to restore confidence in government-run schools.