Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh government has announced the closure and merger of 560 government schools across the state, starting in September. As part of this process, students from these schools will be relocated to nearby educational institutions only after the appointment of 750 surplus teachers in the new schools. The move comes as part of the government’s effort to optimize resources and improve educational outcomes in the state.
Among the 560 schools, 108 with zero enrollment will be completely closed, while 452 schools with five or fewer students will be merged with nearby schools. The Directorate of Elementary Education has instructed District Deputy Directors to submit a list of teachers for redeployment within 10 days. Once this list is finalized, students will be shifted to schools located within a two to three-kilometer radius of their current institutions.
For August, education will continue as usual in the affected schools. Surplus teachers from the closed and merged schools will be deployed to institutions that have been designated as Schools of Excellence. The list of teachers for these redeployments is expected to be finalized this month, pending approval from Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar. To prevent teachers from being assigned to nearby schools arbitrarily, the final authority for their postings will rest with the Education Secretary.
Director of Elementary Education Ashish Kohli confirmed that the process of relocating non-teaching staff, including water carriers, multi-task workers, and other fourth-class employees, has already begun. The preparation of lists for both teachers and non-teachers will commence next week. The goal is to fully implement the government’s decision by September, ensuring that all affected students are smoothly transitioned to other schools. The restructuring of schools is part of the state’s broader strategy to streamline educational resources and enhance the quality of education in Himachal Pradesh.
