The data reveals that West Bengal accounts for the largest share of such schools, with 3,812 institutions showing no student enrolments. The state also employs an astonishing 17,965 teachers in these schools. Telangana ranks second with 2,245 schools and 1,016 teachers, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 463 schools.
In contrast, states like Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura reported no schools with zero enrolment for the academic session. The Union Territories, including Delhi, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Chandigarh, also recorded none.
Enrolment Drop but Improvement from Last Year
The total number of zero-enrolment schools stood at 7,993, marking a notable decline from the previous year’s 12,954. Education officials attributed this improvement to state-level interventions such as school mergers and resource reallocation aimed at optimizing staff and infrastructure usage.
A senior Ministry official said, “Education is a State subject. States have been advised to address the issue of zero enrolments. Some have merged smaller schools for efficient use of resources.”
Uttar Pradesh and Other States Taking Action
Uttar Pradesh reported 81 such schools. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad has already initiated action to revoke recognition for schools with zero enrolment over three consecutive years.
Meanwhile, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh are reviewing their education data to assess the impact of rural-to-urban migration on student numbers and teacher deployment.
Single-Teacher Schools: Another Challenge
While the zero-enrolment problem highlights one side of the issue, India also faces a major challenge with single-teacher schools. The Ministry data shows that over 1.1 lakh schools operate with only one teacher, catering to more than 33 lakh students nationwide.
Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra lead in the number of such schools. However, Uttar Pradesh tops in terms of total student enrolments in single-teacher schools, followed by Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.
Although the count of single-teacher schools dropped from 1,18,190 in 2022–23 to 1,10,971 in 2023–24, experts say the figures remain alarming and point to inequitable access to education in remote areas.
Experts Call for Data-Driven Reforms
Education experts suggest that the central and state governments should rely more on data analytics and real-time monitoring to improve the deployment of teachers and optimize school operations. They also emphasize the need for community engagement and digital tracking systems to ensure no school is left idle.