Itanagar, June 3: The government of Arunachal Pradesh has announced the closure of 386 government schools across the state that have reported no student enrolment for the current academic year.

This decision, made by the State Education Department on Monday, follows an extensive review of data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE). The analysis indicated that many schools have been inactive for several years, with no students enrolled.

The closures will impact schools in nearly all districts, including remote and border regions such as Kurung Kumey, Tawang, Anjaw, Changlang, and Upper Subansiri. The affected institutions include primary, upper primary, middle, and secondary schools.

West Kameng district has the highest number of closures, with 73 schools shutting down, followed by Papum Pare with 50, West Siang with 31, and both Upper Subansiri and Siang with 28 each. Other districts have seen closures ranging from 1 to 22 schools.

Education Department officials explained that this initiative is part of a larger rationalization effort aimed at consolidating educational infrastructure, reallocating teaching and non-teaching staff, and optimizing the use of public resources.

"Closing schools with no enrolment enables us to enhance the support for operational institutions that require it. This aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for improved quality," stated an official from the education department.

All Deputy Directors of School Education (DDSEs) and Block Education Officers (BEOs) have been directed to promptly close the identified schools and initiate the staff redeployment process as necessary.

The government has also committed to ensuring that any students who may have recently transferred to these now-closed schools will be accommodated in nearby operational schools to prevent any disruption in their education.

This represents the second significant round of school closures in Arunachal Pradesh, following the earlier shutdown or merger of approximately 600 government schools in 2023 for similar reasons.

Currently, Arunachal Pradesh has over 2,800 government-run schools at various levels, including lower primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary, staffed by more than 7,600 regular teachers.