India closes 94,000 government schools in 11 years, NITI Aayog report shows

India's school system underwent a major restructuring between 2014-15 and 2024-25, with 94,000 government schools closing, according to a NITI Aayog report based on UDISE+ data. Total schools fell from 15.16 lakh to 14.71 lakh, while student enrolment dropped from 26.95 crore to 24.69 crore as the country's fertility rate fell below replacement level.

The Hindu reports that government schools now serve 49.2 percent of students though they constitute 68.1 percent of all schools, while private schools educate 38.8 percent of students with only 23.1 percent of schools. A typical government school averages 120 students and five teachers, compared with 282 students and 12 teachers in a private school. Enrolment in government schools fell from 13.62 crore to 12.16 crore between 2022-23 and 2024-25, while private school enrolment rose from 8.42 crore to 9.59 crore.

The report frames the consolidation as a dilemma: losing a village school means longer travel and weaker community participation, but single-teacher schools often fail to provide subject-specific teaching, sports, and laboratories. The central question, The Hindu notes, is whether affected children now have access to better schooling.