933 Government Schools Closed in West Bengal; Decision Taken Due to Zero Admissions

In West Bengal, 933 primary, upper primary, and secondary schools have not seen a single student admission for a long time. Some of these schools had recorded zero enrollment for the past five years, while others had been in this state for nearly two decades.

The state government has taken a significant step regarding government schools in West Bengal that have long been grappling with a lack of students.

A total of 933 primary, upper primary, and secondary schools in the state have not admitted a single student for an extended period. According to School Education Minister Deepak Barman, some of these schools had zero enrollment for five years, while others had remained in that state for close to 20 years.

These schools will now be closed, and their land, buildings, and other resources will be utilized for other government facilities. The government states that due to the absence of students, the educational facilities and assets created at public expense within these schools are not being adequately utilized.

Furthermore, the lack of maintenance over a long period has caused the school buildings to deteriorate in many locations.

The School Education Department has instructed the administrations of all districts to conduct on-site inspections of the schools with zero enrollment. Committees headed by District Magistrates will be formed for this purpose; these committees will also include District Education Officers and District Inspectors of Schools.

The committees will gather information regarding the condition of school buildings, classrooms, land, playgrounds, and other amenities. Additionally, aspects such as land and building ownership rights, basic infrastructure, and accessibility to the schools will be examined. Districts will be required to provide specific details for each school and indicate whether it can be reopened or if its assets can be repurposed for other public functions. The report must be submitted to the department within the stipulated timeframe.

The government is also exploring possibilities for utilizing the vacant properties of these zero-enrollment schools for other public purposes. The memorandum mentions considering options such as training centers, health centers, agriculture and rural development centers, community facilities, and other public utility centers. The possibility of transferring these assets to other government departments, based on requirements, will also be explored.

However, Minister Deepak Barman has clarified that the government is not in favor of completely handing over school assets to private entities under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. As of now, no decision has been made to place any school under the PPP framework.

The government has also clarified that low or zero enrollment will not be the sole criterion for closing a school. In remote or sparsely populated areas, if no other school is available nearby, the option of keeping the school operational will be considered.

The situation will also be re-evaluated in areas where multiple schools are located close to one another. If one school has a high student population while a nearby school has very few or no students, the arrangements for both schools may be reviewed.

Alongside student enrollment, the availability of teachers is another major issue facing the government. According to the Minister, the state government aims to improve teacher availability in schools by the 2027 academic session.

However, this is contingent upon the timely completion of the recruitment process. Currently, the recruitment of 26,000 teachers is underway through the School Service Commission. Further recruitment will be conducted subsequently, based on the actual requirements of the schools.