Arunachal Pradesh Shuts Down 386 Non-Functional Schools

Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to shut down 386 government schools in the state due to zero student enrolment in the current academic year.

This directive, issued by the Education Department on Monday, is based on an analysis from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) that highlighted numerous non-functional schools, some remaining so for years.

The closures aim to streamline educational infrastructure and optimize the use of teaching personnel and facilities.

These schools, spanning nearly every district including remote and border areas such as Kurung Kumey, Tawang, Anjaw, Changlang, and Upper Subansiri, comprise primary, upper primary, middle, and secondary institutions that have seen no enrolment this year, and sometimes even in previous sessions.

West Kameng district will see the highest number of closures with 73 schools shutting down, followed by Papum Pare with 50, West Siang with 31, Upper Subansiri and Siang with 28 each, and East Kameng with 23.

Several districts will experience closures ranging from one to 22 schools. Education officials explained that this initiative is part of a broader rationalisation effort designed to consolidate resources and enhance learning outcomes.

Closing schools without students enables the government to redeploy staff to active institutions in need of support.

The decision aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which champions effective school infrastructure management and prioritizes quality over quantity.

The department has directed all Deputy Directors of School Education (DDSEs) and Block Education Officers (BEOs) to ensure the immediate physical shutdown of these schools and begin redistributing teaching and support staff as necessary.

Officials assured that if students had recently enrolled in these now-closed schools, they would be transferred to nearby operational schools to maintain consistent education.

This marks the second significant closure round in the state; last year, the government closed 600 schools that were either non-functional or had zero enrolment.

As informed by State Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona last year, nearly 600 schools have been shut down or merged with other institutions.

Arunachal Pradesh has over 2,800 government-run lower primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools, with a teaching workforce exceeding 7,600 regular teachers.

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