Enrolment falls, 75 schools shut

2.6K schools run in shifts due to razing of dilapidated classrooms, Gujarat govt tells Assembly

- DILIP SINGH KSHATRIYA

THE Gujarat government has admitted in the Assembly that 75 government primary schools shut in the two years till January 21, 2026, due to falling enrolment, even as 2,674 schools run in shifts. It further said in a written reply that dropout rate of students has increased in rural and tribal areas between 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The government has attributed the large number of schools operating in shifts to demolition of dilapidated classrooms and ongoing new construction. It further added that many schools had zero enrolments. These facts show that smaller schools, which are closer to communities, especially in rural and tribal settings, are vanishing, making it difficult for students to access primary education at doorstep.