As many as 94,000 government schools have been closed across India in the past decade, including 210 in Tamil Nadu, primarily due to declining student enrolment, VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan said on Sunday.
Speaking at a scholarship distribution event organised by the Universal Higher Education Trust at VIT University, Viswanathan noted that students are increasingly shifting to private schools, leaving many government institutions with insufficient numbers. Around 2,000 schools in Tamil Nadu currently report low attendance, he added.
Highlighting regional disparities, he pointed out that the former North Arcot, South Arcot and Dharmapuri districts remain educationally and economically backward. Universal Higher Education Trust access to education is essential for their progress, he said.
“Education is permanent wealth. Our ancestors said education is imperishable wealth. If we educate children, there will be no poor,” Viswanathan observed. He noted that only about 50 of the world’s 193 countries provide free education, and India has not fully achieved this despite offering free services in other areas.
Citing a recent parliamentary panel study, he said only 27 % of students who enrol in Class 1 complete Class 12, meaning 73 % drop out along the way. Tamil Nadu and Kerala perform better than the national average in school completion rates. Political parties have not shown adequate interest in the issue, and even government efforts have fallen short, he remarked.
VIT currently has 43,000 students, including 4,000 PhD scholars who receive a monthly stipend of Rs.35,000. Of the remaining 39,000 students, only about 700 receive State and Central government educational assistance. Free education is available to those who studied in government schools and colleges, he said.
The trust has so far supported 11,658 students with scholarships totalling Rs.14.30 crore. On the day of the event, 925 students received assistance amounting to Rs. 87.15 lakh. Viswanathan called for greater public contributions and urged panchayat, municipality, corporation and legislative assembly representatives to identify dropouts and help enrol them in schools and colleges.
India’s gross enrolment ratio stands at around 30 per cent. About 3 crore Indians work abroad and remit $150 billion (approximately Rs.14.04 lakh crore) annually, benefiting families and the government. Expanding education would open more global employment opportunities, especially as several countries face declining youth populations, he said.
Turning to sports, Viswanathan expressed concern over India’s performance. At the Commonwealth Games, India won 39 medals compared with Australia’s 171. Scotland, with a population of 55 lakh, matched India’s tally, while England (population six crore) secured 110 medals. At the Asian Games, China topped the table with 341 medals against India’s 85. Coordinated action by the Centre and states is needed to improve results, he added.
Under the STARS scheme, meritorious students from government schools can join VIT without an entrance exam and receive free education along with placement support. “Providing free education and employment opportunities will uplift families and the nation,” Viswanathan said.
Special guest Abirami Ramanathan, Managing Director of Abirami Mega Mall, Chennai, said he had so far contributed Rs.25 crore towards public welfare. He pledged to donate Rs.20 lakh every year on his birthday to the Universal Higher Education Trust as long as he is able.
VIT Vice President Sankar Viswanathan offered felicitations. Among those present were Ambur MLA A.C. Vilwanathan, Arcot MLA S.M. Sukumar, Katpadi MLA M. Sudhakar, Vellore MLA M.M. Vinoth Kannan, College Education Joint Director Malar, VIT’s Trustees and officials, students and parents.
