Thousands of government schools shut: The one scenario where this could be a good thing

One, the total number of schools saw a modest decline of around 45,000. This, however, was driven entirely by a fall in the number of government schools (94,000, as mentioned above) while the number of private unaided schools increased.

Two, overall student enrolment declined in a manner similar to the trend seen in school numbers — government enrolment fell while private enrolment increased in recent years.

Three, the number of teachers increased, pointing to improved teacher availability amid declining enrolment and fewer schools.

Is the closure and consolidation of government schools really a crisis that is depriving children of neighbourhood educational access, or is it a consequence of demographic factors and changing preferences?

More importantly, should the success of school education be measured by the number of schools, or by whether every child has access to a well-resourced school — even if it means traveling a little farther?

Why school size matters

A school is much more than a place for classroom teaching. It fosters children’s intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development through interaction with teachers and peers, sports, co-curricular activities, group discussions and shared experiences. Such holistic development is difficult to achieve in schools with only a handful of students or a single teacher.

Unlike home tuition with a single teacher, effective schooling relies on age-appropriate classrooms, peer learning, subject-specific teachers and collaborative learning. Single-teacher and very low-enrolment schools often struggle to provide these essential elements, with one teacher handling multiple school classes covering all subjects alongside administrative responsibilities.

The changing school landscape has been shaped by a declining child population, rapid urbanisation, rural-to-urban migration, shifting parental preferences and state-led efforts to merge under-enrolled schools. Many village schools that once enrolled over a hundred students now have only a few dozen, making it increasingly difficult to justify separate infrastructure and teaching resources without compromising educational quality.

In this context, several states have consolidated under-enrolled schools into larger, better-resourced institutions that offer qualified teachers, improved infrastructure, laboratories, libraries, sports and co-curricular activities, according to UDISE+ reports. The challenge, however, is to balance quality with accessibility, ensuring that every child has access to a meaningful school environment without creating undue barriers to education.

What does data reveal?

India is experiencing a demographic transition. The country’s total fertility rate (TFR) — the average number of children born to a woman — has plunged from more than 3 in the early 1990s to about 2.0 today, below the replacement level of 2.1. Rising female literacy, urbanisation, improved healthcare, wider access to family planning, delayed marriages and changing family aspirations have together reduced the number of school-age children.

This transition is reflected in UDISE+ data on school numbers, enrolment and teacher numbers. Let’s take a look at each point.

Schools: The total number of schools — government and private — saw a decline from about 15.16 lakh in 2014-15 to 14.71 lakh in 2024-25 (see table 1).

During this period, the number of government schools declined from about 11.07 lakh to 10.13 lakh even as private unaided schools have expanded.

Table 1: India’s School Education. Source: UDISE/UDISE+ reports

Enrolment: With fewer children entering school each year, enrolment has steadily declined. Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, overall student enrolment fell by 2.26 crore to 24.69 crore.

Similar to the trend seen with school numbers, enrolment in government schools declined from 13.62 crore to 12.16 crore between 2022-23 and 2024-25, while enrolment in private schools increased from 8.42 crore to 9.59 crore, according to a Rajya Sabha reply in March 2026.

As smaller cohorts progress through the system, the decline gradually extends to upper-primary, secondary and higher secondary levels. Nearly 70% of students are still enrolled in Classes I-VIII, underscoring the continued importance of neighbourhood schools for young children who may not be able to travel long distances on their own.

Table 2: Changes from 2014-15 to 2024-25. Source: UDISE/UDISE+ reports

Teachers: The number of school teachers increased from about 90 lakh in 2014-15 to over one crore in 2024-25, improving teacher availability amid lower enrolment and fewer schools. The national averages, however, mask stark disparities: While many rural schools operate with very low enrolment or a single teacher, many urban schools are overcrowded.

Overall, the data points not merely to school closures, but to a structural transformation of India’s school education system. This is being driven by demographic change, shifting enrolment patterns, evolving parental preferences and efforts to provide students with better-resourced learning environments.

School consolidation: Does it work?

Thousands of government schools operate with a single teacher or only a handful of students, making it difficult to provide grade-wise, subject-specific instruction, co-curricular activities, sports, laboratories, and meaningful peer learning.

Teachers often handle multiple classes alongside administrative responsibilities, limiting the holistic academic, social, and physical development that schools are expected to foster. While these schools continue to ensure access and implement welfare measures such as the mid-day meal scheme, many struggle to provide a complete school environment.

School consolidation seeks to address these limitations by merging under-enrolled schools into better-equipped composite schools with qualified teachers, improved infrastructure, and richer learning opportunities. Supported by the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, through school complexes and clusters, it aims to improve educational quality by pooling academic and physical resources rather than merely reducing costs.

As seen above, UDISE+ data also indicates improved teacher availability despite fewer schools.

Yet, consolidation is not an end in itself. Its success depends on balancing quality, efficiency, and equitable access. While larger schools may offer better learning opportunities, increased travel distances can disadvantage young children, girls and students in remote or tribal areas.

The way forward

India’s school education system must balance access, equity, quality and efficiency. While demographic transition and declining enrolment make some degree of school consolidation inevitable, decisions should be data-driven, based on enrolment trends, demographic projections, geography and accessibility — not merely administrative or financial considerations.

Wherever schools are merged, governments must ensure safe transport and uninterrupted access, particularly for young children, females,and those in remote, tribal, and disadvantaged areas.

Ultimately, the success of school consolidation should be judged not by the number of schools closed or merged, but by whether every child — irrespective of location or socio-economic background — can safely access a well-resourced school that delivers quality education and holistic development. If consolidation improves both learning outcomes and equitable access, it will mark a genuine educational reform; otherwise, it will remain little more than an administrative exercise.

The author is a former computer science professor at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, BITS Pilani, and JNU, and a former scientist at DRDO and DST.