9-year-old Indian girl is the only student in her school and a teacher shows up just for her

Many of us stop working hard and feel dejected midway when things are not in our favor. Only a few stand their ground against all odds, turning low moments into opportunities. The same happened to a young girl from India who found herself to be the only pupil at her school. Despite being the sole student from her village to enroll in the educational institute, 9-year-old Keerthana did not lose hope. According to an uplifting video shared by BBC on its YouTube channel (@bbcnewsindia), the fourth grader remained persistent in her pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, even in the absence of other children.

The tween received massive applause on social media for being relentless in her pursuit and inspiring others to follow suit. It can be discouraging for young boys and girls not to see any hustle and bustle around them, especially during school hours.

Yet, the girl from India’s southern state of Telangana decided to attend school by herself. Footage showed Keerthana welcoming the BBC crew to her village’s only educational hub by opening the entry gates. Thereafter, the pupil took them to her classroom, which had a blackboard and a few tables and chairs. Her teacher, Uma Parvathi, had written the day’s attendance on the writing board. "At 9 o'clock in the morning, my father drops me off at school," the outlet loosely translated from what Keerthana originally spoke in her native language, Telugu.

The pupil went on to share her everyday routine at the educational institute located in a village named Narapanenipalle. “First, I study English, then Telugu. After the lunch break, I study math and environmental studies,” the girl remarked, emphasizing the list of subjects taught at her government-run school. Notably, the tween has been living in the same tiny village, which has a declining birth rate. She is the only student in her area, where others are moving to better and more efficient privately run schools.

According to the BBC, the educational institute is solely dedicated to Keerthana, making it the only one of its kind in the state. The number of pupils attending this school has drastically decreased in recent years, even though the state has six million school-age children. Parvathi, who comes every day to teach at the school, believes there has not been much impact on studies.

“Teaching is always the same, whether there are 10 students, 20 students, or just one. The teaching methods remain unchanged; however, the burden decreases,” the educator told the outlet. Furthermore, the operational cost of running the school each year reportedly stood at around 1.2 million Indian rupees (approximately $14,000). Its overall strength started declining, according to the outlet. Some fifteen years ago, 70 students were studying there. “Initially, we thought the reason behind this might be a decline in the village’s birthrate. However, year after year, we noticed that children are increasingly moving to private schools,” Parvathi explained. The nearly two-minute video ended with people applauding both the teacher and student for their perseverance.

Among the countless reactions, @govikris748 noted, “The kid seems very much interested in studies. She speaks so well for her age.” “She gets personal assistance from the teacher. Her base will be so good,” @ExplorerXyz-om6mz added.