CHENNAI: As India witnesses a steady decline in government schools alongside a significant rise in private institutions, Tamil Nadu presents a contrasting picture, with a notable reduction in private schools over the past year, according to data submitted by the Union Government in Parliament.
Nationally, the Ministry of Education's data reveals a clear shift towards privatisation in the education sector.
Between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, India added 8,475 new private schools, bringing the total to 3,39,583.
Conversely, government schools have been closing at an alarming rate, with 18,727 shutting down over the past five years, falling from 10,32,049 in 2020-21 to 10,13,322 in 2024-25.
Tamil Nadu, however, defies this national pattern.
The state saw a decline of 591 private schools in a single year, from 12,481 in 2023-24 to 11,890 in 2024-25. KR Nandhakumar, General Secretary of a state private schools association, attributes this to a "severe hardship" faced by private institutions.
He cited non-renewal of licences for five years, high tax rates, and government-imposed challenges as primary reasons, noting that most closures were at the primary level.
The trend in government schools within the state is mixed but shows less drastic decline compared to the national scenario. After a gradual increase from 37,589 in 2020-21 to 37,672 in 2023-24, Tamil Nadu saw a reduction of 46 government schools in 2024-25, bringing the number to 37,626.
Education activists point to systemic failures. Prince Gajendra Babu, General Secretary of the State Platform for Common School System, accused both central and state governments of failing to safeguard government schools.
"The decline in the appointment of permanent teachers... has resulted in the closures of schools," he said, alleging that central policies favour private entities.
A data discrepancy further clouds the scenario.
While the Centre's submission lists 37,672 government schools in Tamil Nadu for 2023-24, the state's own school education department website shows a lower figure of 37,554, raising questions about the exact scale of the infrastructure.
The national data shows a transformative phase in Indian education, marked by a shrinking public sector.
Tamil Nadu’s anomalous trajectory highlights state-specific policy impacts and challenges, even as the debate over the role of government versus private schooling intensifies across the country.