**Executive Summary**
This document is an official response from the Ministry of Education to a Lok Sabha unstarred question regarding the closure and amalgamation of government schools in Assam. The response, dated December 1, 2025, confirms that no schools have been closed, but many have been merged under the Shiksha Khetra Scheme. Annexures I and II provide district-wise data on the number of elementary and secondary schools merged/amalgamated, respectively, over the last five years.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **No School Closures:** The Department of School Education, Assam, clarified that no Government/Provincialized Primary, Middle, High, and Higher Secondary Schools have been closed in Assam.
* **School Mergers/Amalgamations:** Schools have been merged/amalgamated under the Shiksha Khetra Scheme.
* **Reasons for Mergers:** Mergers occur where there is non-sustainable enrolment, schools are on the same campus, or to optimize resource use.
* **Adherence to RTE Norms:** Mergers are implemented in adherence to Norms & Guidelines as per RTE 2009, to utilize teachers and reduce drop-outs.
* **Impact on Students:** No student has been deprived of education due to mergers, and measures are taken to prevent difficulties in pursuing schooling.
* **District-wise Data:**
* Annexure-I provides the district-wise number of elementary schools merged/amalgamated in the last five years (Total: 2774).
* Annexure-II details the district-wise number of secondary schools merged/amalgamated with High/Higher Secondary/Sr. Secondary Schools in the last five years (Total: 206).
**Impact Analysis**
**Department of School Education, Assam**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and managing the school merger/amalgamation process in accordance with the Shiksha Khetra Scheme and RTE norms.
* **Action Required:** Ensure continued adherence to guidelines during mergers, prevent student deprivation, and address any difficulties arising from the process.
**Students**
* **Impact:** Potentially affected by changes in school location, teacher assignments, and overall learning environment due to mergers.
* **Action Required:** Adapt to any changes in school environment while continuing their education; seek support if facing difficulties.
**Teachers**
* **Impact:** May experience changes in work location, student composition, and teaching assignments due to school mergers.
* **Action Required:** Adjust to changes in teaching environment and support students during the transition process.
**Local Communities**
* **Impact:** School mergers could affect community access to education and the role of schools as community centers.
* **Action Required:** Engage with the Department of School Education to understand the rationale behind mergers and address any concerns about community impact.
Key Entities Referenced
Assam: Indian state where the government school closures and mergers are taking place.
Shiksha Khetra Scheme: Scheme under which schools in Assam are being merged/amalgamated.
Right to Education Act 2009: Referred to in the context of norms and guidelines for maintaining access to education after school mergers.
Ministry of Education: Primary subject as this document is an answer from the Ministry of Education.
Lok Sabha: Referenced as the origin of the question being answered.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 31
ANSWERED ON – 01/12/2025
Closure of Government Schools in Assam
31. Md. Rakibul Hussain:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that a significant number of Government Primary and
Secondary Schools have been closed down in the State of Assam during the last five years;
(b) if so, the details of total number of such schools closed, district-wise;
(c) the details of reasons cited by the Government for the closure of these schools and whether
any assessment was conducted to evaluate the social and educational impact of such closures;
if so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether the Government has any proposal to reopen the closed schools or to establish new
schools in place of those shut down, especially in backward districts of Assam and if so, the
details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (d) Department of School Education, Assam has informed that no
Government/Provincialized Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary Schools have been
closed till date in the State of Assam. However, schools have been merged/amalgamated under
the Shiksha Khetra Scheme where there is non-sustainable enrolment or schools situated in the
same campus or to optimise the use of available resources into a Single Administrative and
academic unit in adherence to Norms & Guidelines as per RTE 2009. Schools are rationalized
within the distance norms for optimum utilization of teachers and as effort to reduce drop-out.
No student has been deprived of getting education after merger/amalgamation and it is also
ensured that after merger/amalgamation no student face any difficulty to pursue their schooling
as all schools are available within the areas as per RTE norms.
The district wise number of elementary schools merged/amalgamated during last five years is
placed at Annexure-I. During last five years, 206 Secondary Schools have been
merged/amalgamated with nearest High/Higher Secondary/Sr. Secondary Schools under
different plain district as details given in the Annexure-II.
******Annexure -I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 31 FOR ANSWER ON 01.12.2025 ASKED BY MD.
RAKIBUL HUSSAIN, HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING
CLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN ASSAM.
District wise number of Elementary Schools merged/amalgamated during last
five years under Department of Elementary Education, Assam
Sl.No. Name of District Number of Schools
1 Barpeta 159
2 Bongalgaon 93
3 Cachar 142
4 Charaldeo 2
5 Darrang 107
6 Dhemaji 89
7 Dhubri 106
8 Dibrugarh 88
9 Goalpara 167
10 Golaghat 61
11 Hallakandi 131
12 Jorhat 211
13 Kamrup(M) 37
14 Kamrup(R) 152
15 Karimganj 76
16 Lakhimpur 162
17 Majull 40
18 Morigaon 231
19 Nagaon 106
20 Nalbari 186
21 Sivasagar 156
22 Sonitpur 188
23 South Salmara 1
24 Tinsukia 83
Total 2774Annexure -II
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 31 FOR ANSWER ON 01.12.2025 ASKED BY MD.
RAKIBUL HUSSAIN, HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING
CLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN ASSAM.
District wise total number of Secondary Schools amalgamated/merged during last five
years
Sl. No Name of District No. of Schools
1 Barpeta 23
2 Cachar 1
3 Darrang 20
4 Dhemaji 7
5 Dhubri 8
6 Dibrugarh 6
7 Goalpara 1
8 Hailakandi 6
9 Kamrup Metro 4
10 Kamrup 20
11 Sribhumi 5
12 Lakhimpur 33
13 Morigaon 4
14 Nagaon 1
15 Nalbari 20
16 Sivasagar 14
17 Sonitpur 7
18 Charaideo 1
19 Jorhat 14
20 Majuli 10
21 Tinsukia 1
Total 206
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