Arunachal Pradesh to shut 386 govt schools with zero enrolment

Itanagar, June 3 To ensure optimal utilisation of resources, the Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered the immediate closure of 386 government schools having zero enrollment, officials said on Tuesday.

Last year also, the Education Department of the Arunachal Pradesh government had also closed 600 schools, which were either non-functional or had zero enrolment.

Commissioner (Education) Amjad Tak in a notification said that in order to ensure optimal utilisation of resources, the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh ordered for immediate closure of 386 government schools having zero enrollment.

The teachers currently posted in these 386 schools are to be withdrawn and re-posted to other government schools where there is shortage of teaching staff, as per the Teacher Transfer and Posting Policy through the concerned Deputy Director of School Education.

"All the concerned Deputy Directors of School Education shall ensure timely issuance of posting/redeployment orders and updating the same in official records and UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) Portal, accordingly," the notification said.

Another senior official of the School Education Department said that the 386 schools comprises primary, upper primary, middle, and secondary schools which have had no student enrolment this year.

Of the 386 schools, the highest number of 73 schools would be closed in West Kameng district, bordering Bhutan and Nagaland, followed by 50 schools in Papum Pare, 31 in West Siang, 28 each in Upper Subansiri and Siang, 23 in East Kameng, 22 in Kurung Kumey, 16 in Changlang, 15 in Upper Siang, 12 each in Pakke Kessang and Leparada and 11 in Tawang district, the official said.

Districts with fewer closures of schools include Kra Daadi (8), Shi-Yomi (7), Lower Siang, Tirap, Kamle and Anjaw (5 each), Capital Complex (4), East Siang (2) and one each in Namsai and Dibang Valley. Arunachal Pradesh, which shares international borders with China, Myanmar and Bhutan, has 26 districts.

According to the official, the decision was taken in line with the objective of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasised the consolidation of school infrastructure to enhance academic outcomes and resource efficiency. Nearly 600 government schools have already been shut down or merged with other schools in 2024.

Arunachal Pradesh has over 2,800 government-run lower primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, with more than 7,600 regular teachers working in these schools.

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