Quality, Not Closure: On Closure of Underperforming Schools

Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha last week on the closure of government schools across the country, Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary informed the House that thousands of schools had been shut over the last five years, between 2019–20 and 2023–24, with Madhya Pradesh leading the pack with the closure of 6,920 schools, followed by Odisha – 4,589, Jammu and Kashmir – 438, Assam – 2,149 and West Bengal – 1,149. The data also revealed that as many as 59 government schools were closed in Nagaland during this period. On top of this, the Arunachal Pradesh government has recently ordered the closure of 386 government schools with zero enrolment of students, while the Education Minister of Himachal Pradesh has revealed that a total of 1,200 schools, including 450 with zero enrolment, have been closed in the past two and a half years. Several states have taken similar measures, besides the merger of schools, in an attempt to strengthen learning outcomes by enhancing the teacher–pupil ratio as well as strengthen the education department. This development is inevitable, as government schools have been witnessing a consistent decline in student enrolment, while the number is increasing in private institutions. As per the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2023–24 report, there are 12,954 schools in India that do not have a single student. As for Nagaland, there are 157 such schools. The numbers speak. This disturbing trend paints a concerning picture of the education landscape in the country.

In view of school enrolment in government schools, particularly at primary and upper-primary levels, taking a nosedive in 23 states and UTs, the Centre has asked the states to initiate remedial action plans. However, they face a herculean task of earning the trust of people after years of neglect, inaction and dereliction of responsibility. To break the vicious circle of falling academic standards, rising dropout rates and subsequent migration of students to private schools, a complete overhaul of administration is required. The fact is that many government schools lack even basic infrastructure, including classrooms, especially in rural areas. Some schools have surplus staff while others face acute shortages, thus severely affecting their functioning and outcomes. The state governments should address issues such as poor infrastructure, shortage of manpower and falling academic standards to encourage students to enrol in government schools. Every child has the right to education, which is enshrined in the Constitution of India. Closing down underperforming schools is not a guaranteed solution for improving overall student achievement, but quality education is.