Too Many Tiny Schools?

Why India has many very small schools with few students and teachers, the case for merging them, and the concerns about access for young children.

Access policies built schools within walking distance of almost every village. As a result, India has many very small schools. Many government schools have fewer than 50 students, and some have just one teacher for several grades.

Why small schools are a problem

Multi-grade teaching: one teacher handling several classes at once.
High cost per student.
Few facilities, such as libraries, labs or sports.
Teacher isolation.

Why enrolment in some schools fell

Falling birth rates in many states.
Families shifting to private schools.
Migration to cities.

Consolidation

Several states have merged small schools into larger school complexes with more teachers and facilities. NEP 2020 encourages school complexes that share resources.

The benefits

More teachers per school, allowing subject specialisation.
Better facilities.
Lower cost per student.

The concerns

Distance: young children, especially girls, may drop out if the school is farther away.
Transport costs.
Community ties to local schools.

Studies from other countries suggest consolidation works best when transport is provided.

Balancing access and quality

The challenge is to keep schools accessible for young children while providing quality education, perhaps by keeping small schools for early grades and consolidating upper grades.

The merged school

Three tiny village schools with one teacher each are merged into a school complex with six teachers, a library and a playground. The state provides a school bus. Learning improves, and teachers can focus on single grades.

Thinking closing small schools always harms access

With transport and planning, consolidation can improve quality without reducing access.

Key takeaways

India has many very small government schools.
Small schools mean multi-grade teaching and high costs per student.
Consolidation into school complexes can improve quality.
Distance and transport must be addressed to protect access.