3,997 J&K Schools Were Merged in 2022-23. Here's What the Government Says About Closures Now

3,997. That is how many schools in Jammu and Kashmir were merged or clubbed in 2022-23, according to a reply the government placed before the Legislative Assembly on 30 September.

The question came from Hiranagar MLA Vijay Kumar. The same reply drew a line under the present: in the government's words, "no primary school has been clubbed or merged during the last three years in J&K."

What the reply says

• The 2022-23 figure: about 3,997 schools were merged or clubbed that year. The reports we reviewed do not break the number down by district or school level.

• One closure: Primary School Nalla Thanger in Zone Sallan was shut for zero enrolment. The government says no child was deprived of free and compulsory education as a result.

• Access guarantees: children aged 6-14 get free education in government schools, with textbooks, uniforms and mid-day meals; the reply also mentions Red Cross Fund assistance for disadvantaged students.

• Private-school quota: private schools must reserve 25% of entry-level seats for economically weaker children. The reply states that this is "not fully implemented", according to Northlines.

When can a closed school reopen?

The government says opening or reopening decisions weigh the prescribed population, enrolment, distance from existing schools, availability of infrastructure and manpower, and the needs of the local area. Any further reorganisation, it says, will be "examined and processed in accordance with the prescribed norms and availability of resources."

What is not in the reports

Neither outlet carried a response from the Opposition or from teachers' or parents' bodies, so this account reflects the government's own statement only. The reports also do not say what happened to the children of merged schools, or how far they now travel.

Why it matters to young Jammu

The 25% quota is the part most readers can act on. If a younger sibling or relative qualifies as economically weaker, ask the target private school how many entry-level seats it has reserved; the government itself says implementation is incomplete. School consolidation also connects to the wider question of who stays in education: see our piece on 714 J&K high schools becoming K-12 campuses.

Photo: Government Higher Secondary School, Salwah, Mendhar, illustrative of a J&K government school. Listen Shahid1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Sources: Northlines; Rising Kashmir.