8,000-odd schools with zero enrolment employ about 21,000 teachers

Nearly 8,000 schools across India recorded zero student enrolments during the 2024–25 academic session, with West Bengal accounting for the largest share, followed by Telangana, according to official data from the ministry of education.

A total of 20,817 teachers were employed in schools that had no students on their rolls. West Bengal alone accounted for 17,965 of these teachers, alongside the highest number of zero-enrollment schools (3,812), making it a major outlier in the national data.

Telangana ranked second with 2,245 such schools, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 463. Telangana employed 1,016 teachers in these institutions, while Madhya Pradesh had 223.

The data shows that 7,993 schools had no students enrolled this year — a decline of over 5,000 from 12,954 schools the previous year. But despite the improvement, the figures highlight a continued issue of underutilised educational infrastructure across several states.

Some states, however, have successfully eliminated the problem. Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura reported no schools with zero enrolment.

No schools with zero enrolment were reported in the union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu and Chandigarh, the data added. Delhi also reported none.

In Uttar Pradesh, 81 schools had zero enrolments. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) has said it is preparing to revoke the recognition of schools that have reported zero enrolment for three consecutive academic years.

The report also highlights the issue of single-teacher schools, where one educator supposedly handles all grades and subjects. More than 1 lakh schools fall under this category, collectively teaching over 33 lakh students.

Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest number of single-teacher schools, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Lakshadweep. However, in terms of student enrolment in single-teacher schools, Uttar Pradesh topped the list, followed by Jharkhand, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

The number of single-teacher schools has however declined by about 6 per cent, from 1.18 lakh in 2022–23 to 1.11 lakh in 2023–24, reflecting gradual consolidation efforts across states.

Asked for comment, a senior official from the ministry of education said the issue fell under the purview of state governments. “School education is a state subject. States have been advised to address the issue of zero enrolments in schools. Some states have merged schools for optimum utilisation of resources such as infrastructure as well as staff,” the official said.

With PTI inputs