Nearly 8,000 Schools Across India Record Zero Enrolments in 2024–25; Over 20,000 Teachers Still Employed: Govt Data
New Delhi: Around 8,000 schools across India reported zero student enrolments during the 2024–25 academic session, with West Bengal leading the list, followed by Telangana, according to data from the Ministry of Education.
A total of 7,993 schools across the country had no students enrolled—down from 12,954 schools the previous year. Despite having no students, 20,817 teachers were employed in these institutions.
West Bengal accounted for the highest number of such schools (3,812) and the majority of teachers (17,965) working in them. Telangana followed with 2,245 schools and 1,016 teachers, while Madhya Pradesh had 463 schools with 223 teachers on record.
States including Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura reported no schools with zero enrolment. The same applied to the Union Territories of Delhi, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh.
A senior Education Ministry official siad that since school education is a state subject, states have been advised to take measures to address the issue, including merging underutilised schools to optimise resources and staff.
In Uttar Pradesh, 81 schools reported zero enrolments. The UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) has announced plans to withdraw recognition from schools that have shown no enrolments for three consecutive academic years.
Meanwhile, the data also revealed that over 33 lakh students are studying in more than 1 lakh single-teacher schools nationwide. Andhra Pradesh leads in the number of single-teacher schools, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep.
However, in terms of student enrolment in such schools, Uttar Pradesh tops the list, followed by Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.
The count of single-teacher schools declined by about 6%, from 1,18,190 in 2022–23 to 1,10,971 in 2023–24, reflecting a marginal improvement in teacher allocation.
