CHENNAI: The Directorate of Elementary Education, while responding to reports in a section of media about closure of many government schools, acknowledged that 1,204 schools in TN, including 208 government schools, have been shut down this academic year due to zero enrolment.
In a release, it said the closures included 869 unaided, 114 aided, 11 partially-aided and two run by the union government. Officials cited declining birth rates and migration from villages to towns and cities as the main reasons for this.
The TN Health Department estimated 9,02,718 births in 2023 and 8,46,709 births in 2024, a 6.2% decline. The state’s fertility rate has also dipped from 1.68 (2011–15) to 1.54 (2021–25). Most of the closed schools were in villages and remote areas where there were no children in the 5+ age category to enroll.
Migration to cities and other states for employment, as well as parents opting for private schools due to rising incomes, have contributed to the enrolment decline.
Despite these closures in some areas, the overall number of students in government schools across TN has risen, with 4.07 lakh new admissions this year. Officials attributed this to welfare initiatives such as the chief minister’s breakfast scheme and upgraded digital infrastructure in schools.