As the Education Department is on the path of reform, it must focus on the interior parts of India, where school infrastructure is almost non-existent. Students have often been forced to make alternative arrangements in interior Arunachal.
Recently, Headmaster Sangha Takam of the Government Secondary School, Leel, located in Kurung Kumey district, was seen showing makeshift classrooms made from temporary bamboo structures that were built two years ago with the help of panchayat leaders and village youths. Sangha highlighted the dilapidated bamboo structures in detail and questioned the authorities, asking how quality education could be provided to children under such distressing conditions in school infrastructure.
According to records available with the Education Department, 14 teachers are currently posted at the school, which has a total enrolment of 29 students. GSS Leel was established in 1967 as a primary school, upgraded to upper primary level in 1986, and further upgraded to secondary level in 2015.
The government of Arunachal Pradesh had ordered the closure of 386 government schools across the state, citing zero student enrolment as the new academic session begins. According to the department, this decision – aimed at rationalizing educational infrastructure and making better use of teaching staff and facilities – is based on a detailed analysis of data from the Unified District Information System for Education.
However, many schools were forced to shut down as facilities were in extreme disrepair, leading to the closure of schools.