The Punjab School Education Department has decided to close another 555 government schools as part of its ongoing school rationalisation programme. The institutions will not be permanently abolished but will instead be merged with nearby government high or elementary schools in an effort to improve the use of educational resources.
Sources state that the decision applies to schools located within a two-kilometre distance of another government school. The department believes that this step will help streamline the education system and make better use of teachers, infrastructure and administrative resources.
The schools selected have fewer than five enrolled students, and three teachers are currently posted at each of these institutions. Education authorities believe that maintaining separate schools with such low enrolment is not an efficient use of public resources.
According to reports, the government had previously outsourced several schools in an attempt to improve enrolment and performance. However, despite these outsourcing efforts, the number of students in the affected schools did not increase as expected.
Additionally, the total number of government schools across Punjab will fall to approximately 37,000 after achieving the plan. The report also states that 13,000 government schools have already been handed over on contract under previous education reforms.
The decision is expected to affect only schools with low enrolment. The Punjab government has not announced any changes to the teaching staff assigned to the affected schools. However, such decisions often raise concerns among local communities about easier access to education and longer travel distances for students.
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