Number of govt elementary schools down 10,000 in a year
Meghalaya, Telangana See Sharpest Fall
In a single year, the government's elementary schools across India witnessed a decline of nearly 10,000 institutions, with Meghalaya, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh experiencing the most significant reductions, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The number of government elementary-level schools fell from 8,89,806 in 2024-25 to 8,79,940 in 2025-26, a decrease of 9,866 schools, or approximately 1.1%.
The data was supplied in response to a query from DMK MP T R Baalu about the closure of numerous elementary schools due to insufficient student enrollment and the measures being taken to prevent dropout rates. However, the education ministry did not specify the exact number of schools closed due to low enrollment while providing the overall figure for government elementary schools in the two academic years.
Meghalaya recorded the largest numerical decline, with the number of government elementary schools dropping from 7,633 to 5,459, a reduction of 2,174. Telangana saw a decrease of 1,961 schools, from 22,983 to 21,022, while Andhra Pradesh's count declined by 1,446, from 37,449 to 36,003. Other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra also witnessed a decline in the number of elementary schools, while Bihar and Chhattisgarh saw an increase in their numbers.
The remaining states had unchanged numbers. The education ministry clarified that the decision to open, close, or rationalize schools falls under the jurisdiction of the respective state and union territory governments, as education is a Concurrent List subject. Despite the decline in the number of schools, access to schooling improved, with the Gross Access Ratio increasing across various levels, from upper-primary to higher-secondary.
The government supports states through schemes like Samagra Shiksha, PM POSHAN, and initiatives for school infrastructure, residential schools, hostels, transport facilities, enrolment drives, textbooks, and uniforms to curb dropout rates and improve enrollment.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
