Closure of Government Schools in India

A recent NITI Aayog report highlighted that nearly 94,000 government schools have closed over the past decade, averaging around 25 closures a day. During this period, government-school enrolment declined by approximately 2.26 crore, while their share in total school enrolment fell from 71% in 2005 to 49.24% in 2024–25.

Why Are Government Schools Shutting Down?

• School rationalisation: States are closing or merging schools with low enrolment to consolidate infrastructure, teachers and resources.
• Administrative decisions: The closures are often coordinated policy choices rather than the result of gradual demographic decline alone.
• Declining enrolment: Migration, displacement, poverty and the growth of private schools have reduced enrolment in several government schools.
• Zero or low admissions: Thousands of schools have recorded no new admissions or fewer than ten students.
• Policy framework: The National Education Policy, 2020 supports rationalisation, but also stresses that access to neighbourhood schools should not be compromised.

States Most Affected

• Uttar Pradesh: Government schools reportedly declined from about 1.63 lakh to 1.38 lakh within one year.
• Madhya Pradesh: The number fell from around 1.22 lakh in 2018–19 to 99,411 the following year.
• Jammu and Kashmir: More than 4,300 schools were closed or merged under the rationalisation programme.
• Nationally, government schools declined from approximately 11.07 lakh in 2014–15 to 10.17 lakh in 2023–24, while the number of private schools increased.

Impact on Children’s Access to Education

• School closures compel rural children to travel longer distances, increasing absenteeism and dropout risks.
• Reports from Jammu and Kashmir indicate that some children travel 4–6 km daily to reach functioning schools.
• Girls are often the first to be withdrawn when the nearest school is no longer easily accessible.
• Children from poor, rural, Muslim, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and backward-class households bear a disproportionate burden.
• Merged schools may suffer from overcrowding and inadequate staffing, including situations where a single teacher handles multiple classes.
• Such conditions can undermine the neighbourhood-school, staffing and quality norms envisaged under the Right to Education framework.

Role of the Central and State Governments

Education falls under the Concurrent List, and States are primarily responsible for operating and rationalising schools. However, the Centre also has an important role because the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 is a central law. The Union Government also influences State education policies through funding conditions, implementation of the National Education Policy and national standards relating to neighbourhood schools and educational access.

Constitutional Provisions Supporting the Right to Education Article 21A: Guarantees free and compulsory education to children aged 6–14 years. Article 15: Allows the State to make special provisions for children and disadvantaged sections in education. Article 41: Directs the State to provide education within its economic capacity and development. Article 45: Provides for early childhood care and education for children below six years. Article 51A(k): Makes it a fundamental duty of parents or guardians to provide educational opportunities to children aged 6–14 years

School rationalisation should be based on detailed local assessments rather than enrolment figures alone. Governments must protect neighbourhood access, provide safe transport where mergers are unavoidable, fill teacher vacancies, strengthen School Management Committees and assess the effects of closures on girls and marginalised communities. Efficiency in school administration must not come at the cost of equitable access to education.