Background
Education is a Concurrent List subject under the Constitution, with responsibilities shared by the Centre and States.
The RTE Act, 2009 guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14 years, including access to neighbourhood schools.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 supports school rationalisation through school complexes/clusters to improve efficiency, while ensuring that accessibility is not compromised.
UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) is India's official database for school education and tracks school infrastructure, enrolment, teachers, and educational indicators.
Features
Scale of School Closures
Around 94,000 government schools closed over the past decade.
Government school enrolment declined from 71% (2005) to 49.24% (2024–25).
Government schools reduced from 11.07 lakh (2014–15) to 10.17 lakh (2023–24), while private schools increased.
Reasons for School Rationalisation
Merger of schools with low enrolment.
Better utilisation of teachers and infrastructure.
Creation of school complexes as envisaged in NEP 2020.
Reduction of administrative costs.
States Most Affected
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Jammu & Kashmir
Madhya Pradesh
7.37 lakh children have no school records.
11.38 lakh children identified as being at high risk of dropping out ("Drop Box").
More than 3,500 schools recorded zero admissions.
Jammu & Kashmir
Over 4,300 schools closed or merged.
Students in many areas now travel 4–6 km to attend school.
Major Concerns
Increased travel distance for students, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Greater burden on SC, ST, girls, and economically weaker households.
Risk of increased dropouts and migration to unaffordable private schools.
Potential weakening of the neighbourhood school principle under the RTE Act.
Challenges
Decreased Accessibility: Closures of nearby schools decrease accessibility for children from far-off and tribal locations.
Increased Dropout Rate: Longer distances deter children from attending school, particularly girls.
Social Injustice: Marginalised communities are more impacted because of the lack of transport and funds.
Flouting the RTE Act: Closures may violate the legal mandate of having neighbourhood schools.
Shortage of Teachers: Rationalisation alone cannot solve problems of teacher shortage and quality.
Urban-Rural Disparity: Educational exclusions are more prevalent in rural than urban areas.
Way Forward
Ensure that school rationalisation does not compromise neighbourhood school access under the RTE Act.
Conduct social and educational impact assessments before merging or closing schools.
Strengthen transport facilities and residential schooling in remote and tribal areas.
Fill teacher vacancies and improve teacher deployment rather than relying solely on school mergers.
Enhance infrastructure and learning outcomes in government schools to improve public confidence.
Empower School Management Committees (SMCs) and involve local communities in decision-making.
Use UDISE+ data for evidence-based planning while prioritising equity over administrative efficiency.
Strengthen Centre–State coordination to balance resource optimisation with universal access to quality education.
Conclusion
School rationalisation will increase the efficiency of administration; however, it should not be detrimental to the constitutional provision of equal and accessible education according to Article 21A and the RTE Act, 2009. While decision-makers must ensure efficient use of resources, at the same time, it is equally important that they do not overlook the importance of neighbourhood schools and that children, especially the underprivileged ones, are not deprived of their right to education due to distance, poverty, or administrative reforms.
