According to recent statistics released by the Ministry of Education, a total of 7,993 schools in India reported zero student enrolments during the 2024-25 academic year. This figure reflects a significant decrease of over 5,000 from the previous year”s total of 12,954.
The state of West Bengal leads in this category, with 3,812 schools having no enrolments, followed closely by Telangana, which has 2,245 such institutions. In these schools, a combined total of 20,817 teachers are employed, with West Bengal accounting for the bulk of these positions, at 17,965.
Other states, including Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, reported no schools with zero enrolments.
A senior official indicated that as education is primarily a state subject, states have been advised to tackle the issue of zero enrolments. Some states have opted to merge schools to optimize resources, including infrastructure and staff.
Data shows that no schools in the Union Territories, including Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh, had zero enrolments. Similarly, Delhi reported no such schools.
Following Telangana, Madhya Pradesh had 463 schools with no enrolments, employing 223 teachers, while Uttar Pradesh had 81 schools in this category. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad has announced plans to revoke the recognition of schools affiliated with it that have recorded zero enrolment for three consecutive academic years.
Interestingly, over 3.3 million students are enrolled in more than 100,000 single-teacher schools across India, with the highest concentration found in Andhra Pradesh, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep. However, in terms of student enrolment in single-teacher schools, Uttar Pradesh leads, trailed by Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.
The number of single-teacher schools has seen a decrease, falling from 118,190 in the 2022-23 academic year to 110,971 in 2023-24, reflecting a decline of around six percent.
