Low-Enrolment Schools in Sivasagar Face Closure Plea Over Fund Misuse

The Union Ministry of Education has referred a public complaint to Samagra Shiksha, Assam (SSA), raising questions about the allocation of infrastructure funds to primary schools with very low student enrolment across four blocks in Sivasagar district.

The complaint, originally addressed to the Prime Minister, was filed by the Amguri Nabanirman Samitee (ANS) — a local civil body — and pertains to schools under Block Elementary Education Offices at Amguri, Demow, Kheluwa, and Nazira.

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The ANS contends that many schools under these four block offices have between just 5 and 20 students — far below the threshold set under the National Education Policy (NEP), which prescribes one teacher for every 30 students.

Despite this, the organisation alleges that Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan has been allocating crores of rupees for infrastructure development to these schools.

The ANS has called this a misuse of government funds and has urged authorities to investigate, close the non-viable schools, and merge them with nearby institutions through amalgamation.

In forwarding the complaint to SSA, the Union Ministry of Education noted that education falls under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, meaning state governments hold administrative control over the majority of schools.

On that basis, the Ministry has asked Samagra Shiksha, Assam to examine the matter and take appropriate action.

No response from SSA has been made public so far.

The case touches on a broader challenge faced by several states — how to manage and rationalise a network of small, under-enrolled schools, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas, without disrupting access to education for children in those communities.

School amalgamation, when handled without adequate planning, has previously drawn criticism from parents and local communities concerned about increased travel distances and loss of neighbourhood schooling infrastructure.