Uncertainty prevails over single-teacher schools

Government has decided to shut down 344 MGLCs

The school has no name but it is known by the name of its teacher. As students walk to schools elsewhere, the teacher here has to reach the school covering long distances in the forest. In some cases, teachers stay at the school sharing their life with tribespeople.

Sunitha N.V. of the Alampatty multi-grade learning centre (MGLC) in Marayur cover three km daily on foot to reach the school. She started her career at Edamalakkudy inside the Munnar forest division in 2003 and was transferred to Alampatty in 2011.

However, Mariyakutty of Vellakalkudy is not so lucky. The school is 23 km in the Marayur forests. She says she had to stay at the school. There were six students from Classes 1 to IV. This year two more plan to join the school.

Jyothi of Iruttalakudy in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary says there were eight students in her class and five more are planning to enrol.

However, things have taken a turn for the worse for them with the government deciding in March this year to phase out 344 single-teacher schools.

A total of 59 MGLCs are to be closed down in the district this academic year. An official of the General Education department says seven such schools where no alternative arrangements could be made will be retained.

The MGLCs were established in 1997 as part of the District Primary Education Programme after the right to education was enshrined as a basic right. The facility provides basic education to students of different age groups in a settlement from Classes 1 to 4.