New Delhi, Aug 12: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the steep decline in the number of government schools, with an 18.9% reduction recorded between 2019-20 and 2023-24.
The number of schools fell from 23,165 in 2019-20 to 18,785 in 2023-24, a net loss of 4,380 schools, according to data shared in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary.
This decline in J&K is the largest in percentage terms among all states and Union Territories, reflecting a significant contraction in public educational infrastructure over the last five years.
Other states also witnessed school closures, with Madhya Pradesh losing 6,920 schools, Odisha 4,589, Assam 2,149 and West Bengal 1,149. While these states had larger absolute losses, their percentage declines were less steep compared to Jammu and Kashmir.
In contrast, Bihar and Rajasthan showed growth in government schools, adding 5,510 and 2,573 schools respectively over the same period. Among southern states, Tamil Nadu and Telangana saw modest increases, with 93 and 21 additional government schools respectively.
Kerala reported a 4.1% decline, with 205 government schools closing between 2019-20 and 2023-24, dropping from 5,014 to 4,809 schools. The sharpest annual fall in Kerala was noted post-Covid between 2021-22 and 2022-23. (KNO)
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