India’s Education Challenge: Over 1 Lakh Schools Operate with Just One Teacher, Serving 33 Lakh Students
India is facing a critical education challenge, with more than 1.04 lakh schools operating with just a single teacher each, catering to over 33.7 lakh students, according to data from the Ministry of Education for the 2024–25 academic year. On average, each of these schools serves around 34 students.
However, when it comes to student enrolment in these under-resourced schools, Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 6.24 lakh students, followed by Jharkhand (4.36 lakh), West Bengal (2.35 lakh), and Madhya Pradesh (2.29 lakh). This situation stands in contrast to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which mandates a pupil-teacher ratio of 30:1 at the primary level (Classes I–V) and 35:1 at the upper primary level (Classes VI–VIII). There has been a slight decline in the number of single-teacher schools—from 1,18,190 in 2022–23 to 1,10,971 in 2023–24, a drop of around 6%. Still, over 1 lakh such schools remain, highlighting the persistent gaps in teacher deployment and school staffing. Government Strategy: Mergers and Redeployment A senior education ministry official stated, "The government is focused on improving learning outcomes by merging under-enrolled schools and rationalising resources. Redeployment of teachers from zero-enrolment schools to single-teacher ones is also underway to ensure better teacher availability.” While Delhi has just nine single-teacher schools, they are among the most overcrowded, with an average of 808 students per school. Chandigarh reports an even higher average of 1,222 students per single-teacher school.
At the other end of the spectrum, Union Territories such as Puducherry, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh report zero single-teacher schools, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have only four. States like Ladakh (59 students per school), Mizoram (70), Meghalaya (73), and Himachal Pradesh (82) report significantly lower average enrolments in single-teacher schools, raising concerns about resource inefficiency. “A high number of students per school generally reflects optimal infrastructure usage. Conversely, schools with very low enrolments are being merged to ensure better resource utilisation,” the official added.
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