NEW DELHI : The Centre has informed the Lok Sabha that more than 2,900 government schools in Assam have been merged with nearby institutions over the past five years as part of a broader effort to optimise resources and strengthen learning outcomes across the state.

Responding to a written query on December 1 regarding the number of government primary and secondary schools closed in Assam, Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary clarified that no government or provincialised schools have been shut down. Instead, the state has undertaken an extensive consolidation exercise.

According to the data shared, 2,774 elementary schools and 206 secondary schools were merged or amalgamated between 2019 and 2024. Chaudhary said the exercise was carried out under the Shiksha Khetra Scheme, which permits the merging of schools with low or non-sustainable enrolment or those situated within the same campus, ensuring more efficient utilisation of infrastructure and teaching staff.

The minister stressed that the process has adhered strictly to the provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, including distance norms aimed at ensuring accessibility. The restructuring, he said, has helped rationalise teacher deployment and is intended to curb dropout rates across districts.

Chaudhary also emphasised that no student has been denied schooling as a result of the mergers. “All children continue to have access to neighbourhood schools as mandated under the RTE. Adequate care has been taken to ensure that students do not face any difficulty during the transition,” his reply noted.

The clarification comes amid ongoing discussions on school rationalisation policies in several states, where declining enrolment and uneven teacher distribution have prompted administrations to merge schools to improve academic outcomes and resource management.

Promotional | North East Integration Rally