Meghalaya, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh Lead Decline as Over 9,800 Government Elementary Schools Close Nationwide
NEW DELHI: According to UDISE+ data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Union Ministry of Education, the number of government elementary schools across India declined by nearly 10,000 in a single academic year. The state-wise breakdown shows that Meghalaya, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh recorded the steepest numerical drops in government-run primary education institutions.
The data revealed that elementary-level government schools fell from 8,89,806 in 2024–25 to 8,79,940 in 2025–26, representing an overall reduction of 9,866 schools nationwide. The findings were released in response to parliamentary inquiries regarding school rationalization, low student enrollment, and measures implemented to mitigate dropout rates.
Steepest Declines Recorded Across Southern and Northeastern States
State-level statistics highlight significant reductions across several regional education systems:
- Meghalaya: Recorded the highest drop nationwide, falling from 7,633 to 5,459 schools (a reduction of 2,174 facilities).
- Telangana: Decreased by 1,961 schools, dropping from 22,983 to 21,022 facilities.
- Andhra Pradesh: Declined by 1,446 schools, dropping from 37,449 to 36,003 facilities.
- Other Key States: Madhya Pradesh recorded 1,043 fewer schools, Karnataka dropped by 615, and West Bengal reduced its footprint by 587.
Conversely, states like Bihar and Chhattisgarh saw marginal increases in government elementary school counts during the same period.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that under the constitutional framework, education falls on the Concurrent List, placing the opening, closure, and rationalization or merger of schools under the jurisdiction of individual State and Union Territory governments. While the Ministry did not specify the exact proportion of closures attributed to zero or single-digit student enrollments, it noted that overall access to schooling has improved, with the Gross Access Ratio reaching over 98% at upper-primary levels through schemes like Samagra Shiksha and PM POSHAN.