Government Schools Decrease Nationwide; Many Left With Few or No Students

New Delhi: The number of government schools in India has declined over the past six years, according to data presented by the Central Government in Parliament. Citing statistics from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed the House that the count of government schools has fallen from 10.32 lakh in 2019–20 to 10.13 lakh in 2024–25.

The data indicates a steady reduction in the total number of government schools during this period. However, the data does not provide a breakdown of how many schools were closed, consolidated, or reassigned for other purposes due to diminishing enrolment.

Additionally, the figures reveal a rise in the number of government schools with ten or fewer students — or with no students enrolled at all — over the last three years. The decline in both student numbers and functional government schools, as reflected in the Centre’s latest data, underscores the growing challenges confronting the country’s public education sector.