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Ninety four thousand government schools closed in decade
The Hindu··3 Aug
A NITI Aayog report states roughly 94,000 government schools closed over the past decade, averaging 25 closures daily, contributing to a 2.26 crore drop in government school enrolment. Government schools' share of total enrolment fell from 71 percent in 2005 to 49.24 percent in 2024-25. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest closures under rationalisation schemes.
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What It Means For You
- Parents in rural Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh or Jammu and Kashmir may find the nearest government school merged or closed, requiring longer daily travel for children.
- Families relying on free neighbourhood schooling should note government enrolment share has fallen below 50 percent as private schools expand nationally.
- Girls in Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and low-income households face higher dropout risk when consolidated schools are farther from home.
What's Happening
- A NITI Aayog report states roughly 94,000 government schools closed over the past decade, about 25 per day.
- Government school enrolment dropped by 2.26 crore, with share falling from 71 percent in 2005 to 49.24 percent in 2024-25.
- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir lead closures under state rationalisation programmes aligned with National Education Policy 2020.
RTE Mandates Neighbourhood Schools But Closures Continue
- UDISE+ data tabled in Lok Sabha shows government schools fell from 11.07 lakh in 2014-15 to 10.17 lakh in 2023-24 while private schools rose from 2.88 lakh to 3.31 lakh.
- The Right to Education Act guarantees free schooling for ages six to fourteen but does not bind states on classroom quality or prevent rationalisation-driven closures.
- Madhya Pradesh recorded 3,500 government schools with zero new admissions and 6,500 with fewer than ten admissions in the latest academic session.
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