Reform over Redundancy: On Closure of Government Schools in Nagaland

As part of restructuring school education network in the state, the government of Nagaland has ordered the closure of 34 government primary and middle schools that are either non-functional or has zero students, while approving the merger of 17 schools. It came more than a month after the State Level Education Committee (SLEC) took the decision based on physical verification reports. This is one of the most significant developments in the department of Education, a move that can immensely benefit the state in several ways. For years, government officials have been stressing the need to restructure school education, highlighting the presence of several non-existent schools and institutions with no students, amid acute manpower disparity, but no major action have been taken on the ground. The move to close dozens of non-performing schools or those with zero enrolment may invite ire from some quarters but it is a much-needed step that could have positive ripple effects. It will optimise resource allocation, reduces wastage of public fund, and address the teacher shortage by reallocating staff to schools that need it, particularly in rural areas. Through this move, the government has also a sent a clear message to communities and school administrations that it won’t tolerate dereliction of duty anymore; that the only way to avoid such an action is by ensuring performance and accountability.

Well, it is not an isolated case. Several states have taken similar measures in an attempt to enhance the teacher–pupil ratio and improve the learning outcome. It may be mentioned that the government of India had asked states to initiate remedial action plans to address the poor enrolment trend in government schools. Providing a clearer picture, the Centre had told Lok Sabha earlier last year that the number of government schools had declined by more than 89,000 between 2014-15 and 2023-24, while private schools saw a significant increase during the same period. Another worrying trend is the surge in the number of schools with less than 10 students or zero enrolment. While the closure of schools raises concerns about limiting educational access for underprivileged children, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, as a large number of teachers remain deployed at institutions with negligible or no students, which is a wastage of human resources and public funds. That being said, the government’s actions should not cause inconvenience for underprivileged children. Shutting down schools without making efforts to strengthen the existing ones can have a negative impact on vulnerable children. Any action of the government should result in enhancement to facilities, infrastructure, and the workforce of existing institutions. And children should not be deprived of their right to education in the effort to break the vicious cycle of declining academic standards.