Himachal shuts 100 government schools due to low student enrollment

The Himachal Pradesh education department has closed 100 government schools, including 72 primary and 28 middle schools, due to consistently low student enrollment.

In addition, 120 primary schools with five or fewer students have been merged with nearby institutions. The orders were issued by education secretary Rakesh Kanwar.

Speaking on the decision, education minister Rohit Thakur said, “The government’s aim behind this is to ensure better utilization of the department’s resources and to provide students with quality education. This will improve efficiency.”

Officials described the move as part of a broader strategy to improve educational quality and manage public resources more effectively.

Over the past two and a half years, the state government has closed or merged around 1,150 schools as student numbers continue to decline.

The drop in enrollment is largely attributed to parents increasingly choosing private and convent schools over government-run institutions.

In many areas, students have stopped attending government schools altogether, even though teachers remain assigned and infrastructure is in place.

In another initiative, the education department has announced that all government schools will now conduct “local dialect interaction” sessions on the last Saturday of each month.

Teachers will engage students in their native dialects for 30 minutes to promote cultural and linguistic inclusivity. This step aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The last Saturday of every month is already observed as Bag Free Day across schools in the state.

“This step is expected to strengthen cultural connections and improve understanding among students and educators,” said an official notification issued on July 28 to all deputy directors of school education.

The directive also instructs school heads to implement the initiative and report compliance to the directorate.

“This is to encourage cultural integration, enhance communication between teachers and students, and support children who predominantly speak local dialects at home. It is a positive step toward preserving Himachal’s rich linguistic heritage and promoting inclusive education,” said Thakur.