With just 5 pupils, this Tamil school shows what Deepavali is truly about

At a primary school in Hulu Selangor, the teachers know every pupil by name – which is hardly surprising, given that there are only five in the entire school.

Established in 1938, the school is about a 20-minute drive from Slim River. It began in an old kampung-style house on stilts, built with wooden planks and a metal roof, which still stands on the grounds today.

As the school expanded over the years, enrolment grew too, reaching a peak of around 400 pupils in 1972.

“It’s quite sad knowing that a school of that size now only has five students,” headmistress Annam Sannasy told FMT Lifestyle. “Many Indians lived in this estate back then, but over the years, most moved to Negeri Sembilan.”

Today, its pupils come from nearby Kampung Sri Keledang and Slim River.

Annam joined the school in late 2024 as headmistress – her first time in the role. Having previously worked at a school with hundreds of students, she said the stark contrast took some getting used to.

The school’s total population is about 15, comprising six teachers, five pupils and several caretakers. Annam stressed, however, that while the school might be small, the teachers have never let that limit what they can offer.

They commute about an hour each day and go the extra mile by personally picking up and dropping off pupils who have transport difficulties. The teachers even drive them to events held hours away.

For Eganash Arijenan, who has been teaching at the school for six years, the bond between teachers and pupils is particularly close.

“We only behave strictly as teachers and students in the classroom. Once we step outside, we are like friends,” said Eganash, who previously served at another Tamil school with similarly low enrolment.

During recess, FMT Lifestyle observed teachers serving food to the pupils. Every morning, they personally collect the meals from a vendor on their way to the school, as there is no canteen serving food on the premises.

They then sit alongside the children on the same bench, chatting and sharing their breaktime.

Annam said the school does not charge pupils any fees, relying on ministry funding and support from sponsors to cover its expenses.

Yet, surrounded by the lush greenery of the plantation, the school is surprisingly well-equipped. Beyond a spacious field, it has smart TVs, projectors, microscopes and other laboratory equipment.

Each pupil also has a laptop for learning, while the school has more than five classrooms despite having the same number of pupils.

With one pupil in Standard Two, three in Standard Five and one in Standard Six, some naturally receive one-on-one attention from their teachers.

“They have won many medals in STEM competitions,” Annam pointed out. “You would never think that these are children studying in an estate school.”

When Deepavali comes around, the school opens its doors even wider. It has spent the past two years welcoming pupils from neighbouring schools, including Malay students, to celebrate together.

Annam believes Tamil schools play an important role in keeping such traditions alive.

“When a child is enrolled in a Tamil school, they learn how to celebrate Deepavali and what goes into the festivities, from creating kolam and decorating the place to conducting prayers.

“We give these traditions priority. That is why I believe that even if there are only a few pupils, the school should not be closed.”

Annam also hopes to keep the tradition of handwritten Deepavali greetings alive by encouraging her pupils to exchange greeting cards instead of relying solely on digital messages.

Eganash highlighted the sense of unity within the school, noting how the Malay caretakers and staff are part of the community, joining in its festivities and everyday activities.

“We need to learn to live without racial or religious differences, and a school is where children first learn these values. Deepavali celebrations are not just for Indians; they are for everyone,” he said.

Though small and tucked away in a palm oil estate, this humble school is proof that the joy of Deepavali lies not in the size of the celebration, but in the people who come together to make it special.

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