West Bengal has identified 933 government schools with no or very few students for a review on revival and possible alternative use, but the state government says schools with enrolled students will not be shut. A committee of all 23 district magistrates has been formed to examine the future of the buildings, land and playgrounds, with a report due within 30 days.
The review covers government primary, upper-primary and secondary schools across the state. According to the report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal, most of the identified schools have not recorded a single admission in the past five years. Some buildings have remained closed or unused, while others are lying neglected because they no longer have a functioning student population.
The move follows discussions on whether these properties can be transferred for use by other government departments. The proposal triggered allegations from opposition parties that the state was preparing to close all 933 schools together.
School Education Minister Dipak Barman rejected that interpretation. He said the government was not withdrawing the schools and that the first step would be to assess whether they could be revived. “We are not removing the schools. First, it will be seen whether they can be revived. If a school has students, the state will provide teachers and infrastructure,” Barman said, according to the report.
The minister’s statement places student enrolment at the centre of the government’s position. Schools that continue to have students are to remain eligible for teachers and infrastructure support, while the status of buildings without students will be examined through the district-level process.
The 933 properties therefore represent more than a school-closure dispute. They include public buildings, land and playgrounds that have become underused as local enrolment has fallen. Any decision to transfer them to other departments would involve determining their current condition, ownership and operational suitability, as well as whether they can continue serving an education-related purpose.
The district magistrates’ committee is expected to submit its findings to the state government within 30 days. Until that report is submitted, the final use of the identified school buildings, land and playgrounds has not been announced. The government’s stated position is that schools with students will not be closed and that the possibility of revival will be assessed before alternative use is considered.
