Why Are Government Schools Shutting Down?

SUBJECT: Polity & Governance (GS-II) | Social Justice (GS-II)

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context

A recent NITI Aayog report highlights a significant decline in the number of government schools in India.

Key Findings

• Around 94,000 government schools have been closed over the past decade.
• This translates to an average of 25 school closures every day.
• Government school enrolment has declined by nearly 2.26 crore students.
• The share of government schools in total student enrolment has fallen from:
  • 71% (2005)
  • 49.24% (2024–25)

The trend raises serious concerns regarding educational access, equity, and inclusive development, particularly for children from rural and economically disadvantaged communities.

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Why Are Government Schools Closing?

1. School Rationalisation Policy

Many States have adopted school rationalisation, under which schools with low enrolment are merged or closed to optimise resources.

NEP 2020 Position

The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 supports rationalisation only if it does not compromise the concept of neighbourhood schools.

However, in practice, several closures have disproportionately affected:

• Rural areas
• Tribal regions
• Remote habitations
• Economically weaker sections

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2. Administrative Decisions Beyond Demographic Factors

The decline cannot be explained solely by:

• Falling birth rates
• Urbanisation
• Migration

It also reflects administrative decisions to merge or close schools, particularly in States pursuing large-scale rationalisation.

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State-wise Trends

Madhya Pradesh

The State presents one of the most concerning examples.

Findings

• 7.37 lakh children had no school records and were not enrolled in either government or private schools.
• 11.38 lakh children were identified under the “Drop Box” category, indicating a high risk of dropping out.
• 1.23 lakh children were officially classified as school dropouts.
• 1.55 lakh children discontinued education due to migration and displacement.

School Enrolment

• More than 3,500 government schools reported zero new admissions.
• Another 6,500 schools enrolled fewer than 10 students.

Government Initiatives

The State introduced:

• School Chalen Hum Campaign
• Home Contact Campaign
• Online child-tracking portals

However, according to the State’s own audit, these initiatives failed to reach nearly 7.5 lakh vulnerable children.

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Uttar Pradesh

UP witnessed the closure or merger of over 25,000 government schools, significantly reducing educational access in many rural areas.

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Jammu & Kashmir

Under the rationalisation programme:

• More than 4,300 schools were closed or merged.
• Children in several areas now travel 4–6 km daily to attend school.

The number of schools declined from:

• 23,167 (2020–21)
• 18,785 (2022–23)

At the same time, nearly 13,000 teacher posts remained vacant, further affecting educational quality.

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National Trend

According to UDISE+ data:

This indicates:

• Declining public education infrastructure.
• Expansion of private schooling.
• Increasing dependence on private education.

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Impact of School Closures

1. Reduced Educational Access

Government schools primarily serve:

• Scheduled Castes (SCs)
• Scheduled Tribes (STs)
• Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
• Economically weaker sections
• Rural communities

Closure of neighbourhood schools often leaves children without accessible alternatives.

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2. Increased Dropout Rates

Longer travel distances increase the likelihood of students discontinuing education, especially among vulnerable groups.

This undermines the objective of Universal Elementary Education.

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3. Greater Impact on Girls

Girls are disproportionately affected because:

• Families may hesitate to send them to distant schools.
• Concerns regarding safety and transportation increase.
• Household responsibilities often take precedence.

As a result, school closures contribute to higher female dropout rates.

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4. Decline in Educational Equity

A 2019 National Sample Survey (NSS) analysis found that reduced access to free government education disproportionately affects:

• SC households
• ST households
• Muslim communities
• Poor rural families

This widens existing educational inequalities.

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5. Multi-Grade Classrooms

School mergers frequently result in multi-grade teaching, where one teacher handles multiple classes simultaneously.

Consequences include:

• Reduced individual attention
• Poor learning outcomes
• Increased teacher workload
• Violation of teacher-pupil norms under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009

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Legal and Constitutional Dimensions

Constitutional Framework

Education is placed in the Concurrent List (Seventh Schedule), making it a shared responsibility of the Union and State Governments.

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Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009

The Act guarantees:

• Free and compulsory education
• Children aged 6–14 years
• Universal elementary education
• Neighbourhood schools

However, enforcement mechanisms regarding quality and accessibility remain relatively weak.

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National Education Policy (NEP), 2020

NEP supports school consolidation only when:

• Educational quality improves.
• Access is not compromised.
• Neighbourhood schooling is preserved.

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School Management Committees (SMCs)

SMCs are intended to promote:

• Community participation
• Local accountability
• School monitoring

However, in many areas they remain inactive or are not regularly convened.

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Key Challenges

• Large-scale school closures in rural areas.
• Teacher shortages.
• Weak community participation.
• Poor grievance redressal.
• Inadequate transport for children.
• Rising educational inequality.
• Increased dependence on private schools.

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Way Forward

Ensure Neighbourhood Schools

School rationalisation should not compromise the constitutional goal of universal access.

Every child should have a functional school within reasonable distance.

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Strengthen Government Schools

Focus on:

• Filling teacher vacancies.
• Improving infrastructure.
• Digital classrooms.
• Better learning outcomes.
• Inclusive education.

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Empower School Management Committees

Regularly functioning SMCs should:

• Monitor school performance.
• Improve community participation.
• Prevent unnecessary closures.
• Ensure accountability.

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Improve Student Retention

Governments should strengthen:

• Mid-Day Meal (PM POSHAN) Scheme
• Scholarships
• Free textbooks and uniforms
• Safe transportation
• Residential schools in remote areas

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Transparent Rationalisation Policy

School mergers should be based on:

• Educational outcomes
• Accessibility
• Local demographics
• Community consultation

rather than merely administrative efficiency.

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Conclusion

Government schools remain the backbone of India’s commitment to equity, social justice, and universal education, particularly for children from disadvantaged communities. While rationalisation may improve administrative efficiency, it must not undermine the constitutional promise of accessible, affordable, and quality education for every child.

A balanced approach that combines efficient resource utilisation with neighbourhood schooling, adequate teacher availability, and strengthened public education is essential for achieving the goals of the Right to Education Act, the National Education Policy 2020, and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).