Government School Closures: According to a recent NITI Aayog report titled School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement, nearly 94,000 government schools ceased operations between 2014-15 and 2024-25, while enrolment in government schools dropped to 49.24%, marking the first time that fewer than half of India's school students are enrolled in government institutions.
While much of the discussion has focused on the decline in enrolment, the larger story is about where schools are disappearing, why they are being merged or closed, and what this could mean for access to education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Why Are Government Schools Closing?
The report makes it clear that school closures do not have a single cause. In many states, governments have merged schools with very low enrolment to improve infrastructure and teacher availability. At the same time, falling birth rates, migration to urban areas, and a growing preference for private schools have reduced the number of students attending government schools.
Parents are increasingly choosing private schools, particularly low-fee private institutions, in the hope of better learning outcomes, English-medium instruction, and improved accountability. As a result, government school enrolment has steadily declined from around 71% in 2005 to 49.24% in 2024-25.
States Where Government Schools Have Declined the Most
The NITI Aayog report and subsequent analyses highlight several states where the reduction in government schools or a sharp shift away from them has been most visible.
|
State |
Key Trend |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
Among the states with the largest number of school mergers and closures over the past decade. |
|
Madhya Pradesh |
Large-scale consolidation of government schools; together with Uttar Pradesh accounted for nearly 40,000 mergers/closures. |
|
Jammu & Kashmir |
Recorded one of the sharpest declines in government schools, with around 4,443 schools affected. |
|
Andhra Pradesh |
Significant shift in enrolment patterns due to school rationalisation and restructuring. |
|
Bihar |
Rapid expansion of private schools alongside changing enrollment trends. |
|
Maharashtra |
Steady movement of students towards private schools in many districts. |
|
Karnataka |
Growth in private school enrolment and consolidation of government schools. |
|
Telangana |
Increasing preference for private schools has contributed to declining government enrolment. |
The Bigger Concern Is Not Just School Closures
The report suggests that the number of schools alone does not tell the complete story. India has universal access to primary education, but retaining students through secondary and higher secondary levels is still a big challenge.
Many students still drop out before completing Class 12. This limits objectives of NEP 2020, that aim to improve retention, learning outcomes, and equal access.
Another concern is that school mergers can increase distance between children, especially those in rural and tribal areas. Education experts have warned that longer travel distances can discourage attendance of younger children and girls.
What Does the NITI Aayog Recommend?
Rather than simply increasing number of schools, NITI Aayog suggests improving learning quality, teacher availability, digital system, literacy and numeracy, and secondary school retention. It also calls for better planning before merging schools so that access to education is not affected, particularly in remote regions.
Also Check: Can Students Be Shifted After Government Schools Closure? What Does It Mean for Enrolled Students
