The Uttar Pradesh government’s 2025 decision to merge government schools with low enrolment has sparked widespread debate. The move aims to optimise resources but faces criticism for potentially limiting access to education for marginalised children, especially girls. Despite protests and legal challenges, the Allahabad High Court has upheld the government’s position. This development reflects broader national education policy trends and challenges in ensuring quality and universal schooling.
Background of School Mergers in Uttar Pradesh
In mid-2025, the UP Basic Education Department identified government schools with fewer than 50 students for merger. The plan pairs these smaller schools with nearby larger ones to better use teachers and infrastructure. After merging, the freed facilities are repurposed as pre-primary Balvatikas. This approach follows a national trend under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages school clusters for resource sharing and efficiency.
National Policy and Historical Context
Government schools were originally established to ensure universal elementary education. The 1986 National Policy on Education prioritised universalisation of elementary schooling. The Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009 legally guaranteed free education for children aged 6 to 14 in neighbourhood schools. RTE rules specified that schools for classes 1 to 5 must be within 1 km of a habitation with at least 300 residents, and for classes 6 to 8 within 3 km of a habitation with 800 residents. The Kothari Commission (1968) first emphasised neighbourhood schools to reduce dropouts and social segregation.
Challenges of Small Schools and NEP 2020 Recommendations
While the RTE and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan expanded access, many government schools remain very small. Data from UDISE+ 2023-24 shows nearly 13,000 schools with zero enrolment and over 1.1 lakh schools with only one teacher. NEP 2020 marks that such small schools are costly and inefficient. Teachers often handle multiple grades and subjects, and essential resources like labs and sports facilities are missing. The policy recommends rationalising schools into complexes by 2025 to improve quality and resource use.
Opposition and Legal Challenges
Teachers, parents, and opposition leaders argue mergers increase travel distances, risking higher dropout rates, especially among girls. Petitions filed in the Allahabad High Court claimed the mergers violate UP’s RTE rules on school proximity. The court rejected these petitions, stating strict adherence to distance rules is impractical due to land and resource constraints. The debate marks tensions between policy efficiency and equitable access.
Trends in School Numbers and Enrolment
Government school numbers have declined in UP from 163,000 in 2018-19 to 137,000 in 2023-24. Private school numbers rose simultaneously. Similar trends appear in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. The elementary gross enrolment ratio in UP stands at 91.7%, showing progress but also indicating that universal enrolment remains incomplete. The merger policy aims to address quality and sustainability challenges amid these trends.
Implications for Marginalised Communities
Concerns remain that mergers could disproportionately affect poor and marginalised children. Longer distances to schools may discourage attendance, especially for girls who face safety and social barriers. The original neighbourhood school concept sought to promote social integration and equal access. Balancing resource optimisation with inclusive education remains a key challenge.
Questions for UPSC:
- Discuss in the light of the Right to Education Act 2009, the challenges and implications of merging government schools with low enrolment in India.
- Analyse the role of the National Education Policy 2020 in reforming elementary education infrastructure and its impact on educational equity.
- Taking the example of Uttar Pradesh and other states, critically discuss the effects of declining government school numbers and rising private school enrolment on universal education goals.
- Examine the concept of ‘neighbourhood schools’ as envisaged by the Kothari Commission and its relevance in ’s educational policy debates in India.
