Parliament Question: Closure of Government Schools

**Executive Summary** This document is a response to Starred Question No. 27 in the Lok Sabha, answered on February 2, 2026, regarding the closure of government schools in India over the past five years. It details the Government’s awareness of school closures, the data related to these closures, and the reasons behind them. The document clarifies that Education is a concurrent subject, and the opening/closing of schools falls under the purview of the respective State Government and UT Administration. **Key Points / Main Content** * **Government Awareness & Data:** * The Government is aware that a number of Government schools have been shut down/closed in the country during the last five years. * State/UT-wise details, including Rajasthan, regarding the number of closed schools during the said period are available. * Details regarding the reasons for closure of such Government schools are available. * State/UT-wise and school-wise information on the number of students who dropped out of school as a result of these closures is available. * **Constitutional & Legal Framework:** * Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution; the opening, closing and rationalization of schools fall under the purview of respective State Government and UT Administration. * The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides children's access to elementary schools within the defined area or limits of neighbourhood. * In pursuance to Section 6 of the RTE Act, all States have notified area or limits of their neighbourhood norms. * Section 8 of the RTE Act, 2009 mandates that the appropriate government shall provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child and ensure availability of neighbourhood schools. * **Universal Access & Dropout Rates:** * Advancements have been made in improving universal access across all levels of school education. * Gross Access Ratio (GAR) for 2018-19 and 2024-25: * Primary: 97.15 and 97.83 * Upper Primary: 96.49 and 96.57 * Secondary: 88.24 and 95.35 * Higher Secondary: 65.05 and 94.97 * GAR has improved over the years and dropout rates across pedagogical school category have fallen. * State/UT-wise number of Government schools including in Rajasthan, as reported by them and dropout rate by level of education from the year 2020-21 to 2024-25 are available at [https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques](https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl_ques). **Impact Analysis** **State Government and UT Administration** * **Impact:** Responsible for opening, closing, and rationalizing schools within their jurisdiction as Education is a concurrent subject. * **Action Required:** Continue adhering to the RTE Act, ensuring children's access to schools and availability of neighborhood schools. Also required to provide the data related to the number of schools that are shut down and the number of student dropouts. **Ministry of Education** * **Impact:** Provides data and explanations to the Lok Sabha regarding the closure of government schools and actions taken to ensure children’s education. * **Action Required:** Maintain and improve the UDISE+ database and provide it when questioned. **Students** * **Impact:** Affected by school closures, potentially leading to increased dropout rates if access to alternative schooling is not readily available. * **Action Required:** No direct action, but access to alternative educational opportunities is crucial.

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