More than 2,900 government schools in Assam have been merged with nearby institutions over the past five years as part of an effort to optimise resources and strengthen learning outcomes, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on 1 December. The clarification came in response to a query on the number of primary and secondary schools closed in the state.
Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary stated in a written reply that none of Assam’s government or provincialised schools had been shut down. Instead, 2,774 elementary schools and 206 secondary schools were merged or amalgamated during the period under review. He explained that the exercise was carried out under the Shiksha Khetra Scheme, which provides for the consolidation of schools with low enrolment or those operating on the same campus, allowing for more efficient use of infrastructure and manpower.
Chaudhary noted that the rationalisation process followed the guidelines laid out in the Right to Education Act, 2009. The mergers were undertaken within the permissible distance norms to ensure smooth teacher deployment and minimise dropout rates. He also stressed that no child had been denied access to education as a result of the initiative, adding that all students continued to receive schooling within their local areas in line with RTE requirements.
