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In a sweeping move to streamline its education infrastructure, the Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered the closure of 386 government schools across the state that reported zero student enrolment in the current academic year.
The decision, announced by the Department of Education late on Monday, is based on findings from a comprehensive audit of the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), which highlighted a large number of schools lying dormant without a single student on their rolls.
Officials said the step is part of a broader school rationalisation exercise aimed at better deployment of teaching staff and educational resources.
The closures span nearly every district, including remote and border areas such as Kurung Kumey, Upper Subansiri, Tawang, Anjaw and Changlang. The affected institutions include primary, upper primary, middle and secondary schools, many of which have reportedly remained inactive for years.
West Kameng tops the list with 73 closures, followed by Papum Pare (50), West Siang (31), Upper Subansiri and Siang (28 each), and East Kameng (23). Other districts seeing significant impact include Kurung Kumey (22), Changlang (16), Upper Siang (15), Pakke Kessang and Leparada (12 each) and Tawang (11).
Districts with fewer closures include Kra Daadi (8), Shi-Yomi (7), Lower Siang, Tirap, Kamle and Anjaw (5 each), Capital Complex (4), East Siang (2) and one each in Namsai and Dibang Valley.
“These schools had not recorded any enrollment for multiple academic sessions, raising concerns over their administrative relevance and financial viability,” a senior education department official said.
The department has instructed all deputy directors of school education (DDSEs) and block education officers (BEOs) to ensure the physical closure of these schools and redeployment of staff as necessary.
Authorities clarified that if any students have recently moved to the affected schools, they will be accommodated in nearby functional institutions to prevent any disruption in their education.
The move is in alignment with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for consolidation of school infrastructure to enhance academic outcomes and resource efficiency, the official said.
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