Arunachal shuts down 386 government schools over zero enrolment
The move follows NEP 2020 goals & aims to redeploy resources for better educational outcomes across districts
A student in a government school in Arunachal Pradesh (Photo: @Anuraag_Shukla / X)
Itanagar, June 3: The Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered the closure of 386 government schools across the state that have recorded zero student enrolment in the ongoing academic year.
The directive, issued by the State Education Department on Monday, is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE). The findings revealed that a considerable number of schools have remained non-functional for years, with no students currently enrolled.
The decision affects schools in nearly every district of the state, including several remote and border areas such as Kurung Kumey, Tawang, Anjaw, Changlang, and Upper Subansiri. The list encompasses primary, upper primary, middle, and secondary schools.
West Kameng district reported the highest number of closures, with 73 schools shut down, followed by Papum Pare (50), West Siang (31), Upper Subansiri and Siang (28 each), and East Kameng (23). Other districts have seen closures ranging from 1 to 22 schools.
Officials from the Education Department clarified that this is part of a broader rationalisation initiative, aimed at consolidating infrastructure, redeploying teaching and non-teaching staff, and ensuring optimal use of public resources.
“The closure of schools with zero enrolment allows us to strengthen functioning institutions that are in need of additional support. It is a move towards better quality, as envisaged by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” an education department official stated.
All Deputy Directors of School Education (DDSEs) and Block Education Officers (BEOs) have been instructed to physically close the listed schools immediately and begin the redeployment process of staff wherever needed.
The government also assured that in instances where students might have recently moved to any of the now-closed institutions, steps will be taken to ensure they are accommodated in nearby operational schools to avoid any interruption in their education.
This marks the second major round of school closures in Arunachal Pradesh. In 2023, the government had already shut down or merged around 600 government schools due to similar reasons.
As per official figures, Arunachal Pradesh currently has over 2,800 government-run schools across various levels - lower primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary, with more than 7,600 regular teachers.
- PTI