The Sikkim government has proposed temporarily closing 17 more government-run primary schools this year, citing a continued fall in student enrolment linked to the State’s low fertility rate, Education Department Secretary Taashi Chophel Lepcha said on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at the State-level Education Conference at Chintan Bhawan. The announcement has raised alarm among sections of civil society and education stakeholders.
Lepcha told the conference that shrinking student numbers remain a persistent challenge for Sikkim’s school system. He noted that 38 primary schools were temporarily shut in 2025 for similar reasons and that a fresh proposal has been submitted to close an additional 17 schools in the current year.
State officials say the enrolment decline is mainly demographic-a sustained drop in birth rates-and argue that rationalising school infrastructure is necessary to ensure optimal use of limited resources as student populations fall.
Critics, however, question the approach. Social activist Pravin Sharma (Upreti) urged the government to reconsider the proposal, saying the closures do not sufficiently take into account the socio-economic realities of students who depend on government schools for education and related welfare services. He accused authorities of acting without a comprehensive, evidence-based assessment of the causes behind low enrolment. “Instead of addressing root issues such as inadequate infrastructure, lack of parental awareness, and limited access to essential services like nutrition and healthcare, the government seems to be relying on arbitrary benchmarks,” Sharma said.
Sharma also pointed to earlier rounds of closures, saying 97 elementary schools were shut in 2024 without “meaningful corrective measures” being implemented. He warned that repeated closures, absent systemic reforms, could undermine the long-term viability of public education in the State.
Raising concerns about equity, the activist alleged a contradiction in governance: many public representatives reportedly choose private schools for their own children even as government institutions serving the wider population face gradual shutdowns. Sharma appealed to educators, students, youth groups and civil society organisations to oppose the proposed closures and urged the State to reverse the move and invest in inclusive, evidence-based measures to strengthen public schools.
The developments highlight a wider dilemma for smaller states like Sikkim: balancing demographic change and resource constraints with the need to maintain equitable and accessible public education systems for disadvantaged and rural communities.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/sikkim/story/sikkim-plans-closure-of-17-more-primary-schools-amid-falling-enrolment-sparks-concern-1368951-2026-04-01?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-01 20:30:00
