Sikkim Government to Close 97 Schools Statewide Due to Low Enrollment

To optimise educational resources, the Sikkim government announced the closure of 97 schools across the state at the end of the current semester due to low student enrollment. According to Education Minister Raju Basnet, the decision seeks to “ensure better utilisation of resources and enhance the quality of education.”

The schools earmarked for closure include 78 primary, 12 junior high, and seven senior secondary schools. Students from these institutions will be transferred to nearby functional schools with better enrolment numbers. Basnet emphasised the government’s commitment to education, highlighting that the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) administration, under Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, prioritises quality education for all.

“The government is committed to providing quality education and has allocated the best available infrastructure and resources across the state’s schools,” Basnet said.

Sources revealed that these closures are part of a larger effort to streamline resources, as many of the schools marked for closure have very low attendance, with some primary schools enrolling fewer than ten students per class and junior high schools with fewer than 20 students. Sikkim’s declining fertility rate, the lowest in India according to the National Family Health Survey 2019-2021, is cited as a contributing factor to low enrollment. The state’s fertility rate has dropped from 2.01 in 2009 to 1.1, compared to the national average of 2.0.

In addition to closing and merging schools, the government plans to repurpose the buildings of these 97 schools into community halls or panchayat offices. Hostels and transportation support will also be offered to help affected students transition smoothly to their new schools, with teachers being reassigned accordingly.

The state has also launched the Chief Minister’s Mentorship Scheme, with 132 crash course centres planned for winter, aiming for 100% success in Class X board examinations.