Arunachal orders closure of 386 govt schools for zero enrolment
Itanagar, The Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered the closure of 386 government schools across the state that have recorded zero student enrolment in the current academic year.
The order, issued by the state's Education department on Monday, follows a detailed analysis of data from the Unified District Information System for Education , which identified a significant number of schools that have remained non-functional, in some cases for several years.
The decision is aimed at rationalising educational infrastructure and making better use of teaching staff and facilities.
The closure affect schools in almost every district, including remote and border regions such as Kurung Kumey, Tawang, Anjaw, Changlang, and Upper Subansiri.
The list includes primary, upper primary, middle, and secondary government schools that have had no student enrolment this year and, in some instances, for multiple academic sessions.
According to the official notification, West Kameng district reported the highest number of closures, with 73 schools shut down. Other districts with significant numbers include Papum Pare with 50 closures, West Siang with 31, Upper Subansiri and Siang with 28 each, and East Kameng with 23. Several other districts also saw closures ranging from one to 22 schools.
Education department officials explained that the closures are part of a larger rationalisation initiative that focuses on consolidating educational resources and improving learning outcomes.
The officials added that the move is aligned with the goals of the National Education Policy 2020, which advocates for the efficient management of school infrastructure and emphasises the need for quality over quantity.
The department has instructed all deputy directors of school education and block education officers to ensure the immediate physical closure of the listed schools and begin redeployment of teaching and non-teaching staff wherever necessary.
The officials also confirmed that in cases where students may have recently migrated to the now-closed institutions, arrangements will be made to shift them to nearby functioning schools to prevent any disruption to their education.
This is the second major round of closures in the state.
Last year, the state government had also closed 600 schools, which were either non-functional or had zero enrolment.
Nearly 600 such schools have already been shut down or merged with other schools; state Education minister Pasang Dorjee Sona had informed the assembly last year.
The northeastern state has over 2,800 government-run lower primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, with more than 7,600 regular teachers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Isro ex-chief-led panel to onboard HEIs in new regulatory setup
NEW DELHI: In a key development on the much-delayed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), the Centre has constituted an empowered committee under the chairmanship of former Isro chief K Radhakrishnan to facilitate the onboarding of higher educational institutions (HEIs) under the proposed regulatory framework. The ministry of education notified the committee on Friday, tasking it with resolving implementation issues and harmonising existing protocols to ensure a smooth transition. The committee is expected to submit its report within three weeks. With 18 members, the committee includes directors of leading institutions such as IIT-Bombay, IIM-Ahmedabad, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, and VCs of Delhi University, Utkal University and SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur. Also on board are chairpersons of existing statutory bodies like the UGC, AICTE and NCTE. HECI was proposed under the National Education Policy 2020 as an overarching body to replace UGC and consolidate higher education regulation. It aims to bring all institutions under a single umbrella for academic standards, accreditation, and funding, while maintaining autonomy for domain-specific decisions through subject councils. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upexi's $100M Solana Investment: What It Means for Shareholders bullseyealerts Read More Undo However, the legislation to establish HECI has faced delays since its draft in 2018, with various iterations seeking to address concerns. The panel's terms of reference include addressing 'specific difficulties of HEIs to be brought under HECI's purview so that appropriate clarifications may be issued,' and analysing 'regulatory protocols of different statutory bodies and recommending applicable protocols for HEIs to become multidisciplinary institutions.' It is also tasked with proposing ' mechanisms in view of HECI' for funding and technical support systems, and to 'suggest organisational structure of Standards Councils,' while ensuring that statutory bodies continue to lay down academic standards and coordinate between teaching and research.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
54 institutions from India make it to QS World University rankings, IIT Delhi highest at 123rd spot
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the performance of Indian educational institutions in the World University 2026 Rankings, which were made public on Thursday. In a post on X, the PM said, 'The QS World University Rankings bring great news for our education sector. Our government is committed to furthering research and innovation ecosystems for the benefit of India's youth.' India is the fourth most represented in the list with only the United States, United Kingdom and China surpassing it, said an official release from the PIB. A total of 54 Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) from India featured in the rankings with IIT Delhi emerging as the country's top-ranked institute by securing the 123rd position. Twelve IITs have made it to the ranking list. Compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the internationally recognised ranking system compares HEIs worldwide on an annual basis. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a statement said, 'From just 11 universities in 2014 to 54 in the latest rankings, this five-fold jump is a testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by PM Narendra Modiji's government in the last decade. National Education Policy 2020 is not just changing our educational landscape, it is revolutionising it.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Manipur Guv asks officials to improve quality of education, Education News, ET Education
Advt Advt Imphal, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday asked the officials to improve the quality of education in the state, officials said.A Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor chaired an important meeting and reviewed the prevailing education system focusing on strengthening the system in the the discussion, Bhalla emphasised the importance of providing high-quality, inclusive, and equitable education for every child in the state, highlighting key initiatives such as the National Education Policy 2020 and the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP).He also noted that improved infrastructure, digital learning tools, and well-trained teachers are central to shaping a strong future for the state's youth, the official of the Department of Education (Schools), N. Praveen Singh, made a presentation highlighting progress in school also offered a district-wise overview of school distribution, showcasing areas of growth and opportunities for further enhancing the rate of enrollment in each district. Director of Education (School), Ng. Bhogendra Meitei and Joint Secretary Education (School) Anjali Chongtham and other officers attended the the Governor earlier assessed the progress of the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), a flagship initiative under the National Education Policy (NEP) to a Raj Bhavan official, the ITEP is a four-year dual-major, holistic under-graduate program designed to prepare highly qualified teachers for all four stages of the new school of Education (School) H. Gyan Prakash in the meeting provided an update on the ongoing implementation and key milestones of the programme in also chaired the 'Governor-in-Council' meeting at Raj Bhavan. The discussions in the meeting focused on strengthening inter-departmental coordination and ensuring efficient delivery of public services across the meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Commissioners, and Administrative Secretaries from various departments.
