Over 33 lakh students across India are currently enrolled in more than one lakh schools run by a single teacher, highlighting persistent challenges in achieving the mandated pupil-teacher ratio, according to official data and PTI reports. Andhra Pradesh records the highest number of such schools, while Uttar Pradesh leads in student enrolment within these institutions.
According to statistics released by the Ministry of Education for the academic year 2024-25, India had 1,04,125 single-teacher schools catering to 33,76,769 students, averaging about 34 students per school. This figure falls short of the benchmarks set under the Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which mandates a pupil-teacher ratio of 30:1 at the primary level and 35:1 at the upper primary level.
Distribution across States and Union Territories
The highest number of single-teacher schools is concentrated in Andhra Pradesh (12,912), followed by Uttar Pradesh (9,508), Jharkhand (9,172), Maharashtra (8,152), Karnataka (7,349), and Lakshadweep (7,217). Madhya Pradesh also reports 7,217 schools, while West Bengal has 6,482, Rajasthan 6,117, Chhattisgarh 5,973, and Telangana 5,001. Delhi has nine single-teacher schools, whereas Andaman and Nicobar Islands have just four. The Union Territories of Puducherry, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh have no such schools.
When student enrolments are considered, Uttar Pradesh leads with 6,24,327 students, followed by Jharkhand (4,36,480), West Bengal (2,35,494), Madhya Pradesh (2,29,095), Karnataka (2,23,142), Andhra Pradesh (1,97,113), and Rajasthan (1,72,071).
Average student enrolments per school vary widely. Chandigarh and Delhi report the highest density, at 1,222 and 808 students per school, respectively. In contrast, Ladakh (59), Mizoram (70), Meghalaya (73), and Himachal Pradesh (82) reflect significantly lower numbers.
Trends and government measures
The number of single-teacher schools has been decreasing, from 1,18,190 in 2022-23 to 1,10,971 in 2023-24, marking a 6% drop.
“The government is on a mission to improve learning outcomes and ensure the best possible utilisation of available resources by undertaking school mergers and consolidation of schools, often called ‘rationalisation of schools’,” a senior official told PTI.
Highlighting the challenge posed by these schools, the official added, “Single-teacher schools hinder the teaching-learning process, and efforts are being made to redeploy teachers from schools with zero student enrolment to single-teacher schools to ensure optimal teacher availability.”
The official further explained that schools with high enrolments reflect optimum utilisation of infrastructure, while low-enrolment schools are being merged to balance resources and improve teacher deployment, PTI reports.
Implications for Education
While the decline in single-teacher schools is a positive indicator, the persistence of over one lakh such schools underscores a structural gap in India’s primary and upper-primary education system. For policymakers, it signals the need to prioritise teacher recruitment, redeployment, and strategic consolidation to align with the RTE’s stipulated ratios.
The data also reveals stark regional disparities, from Andhra Pradesh’s high concentration of single-teacher schools to Chandigarh’s high student density per school, reflecting uneven utilisation of educational infrastructure across the country.
As India navigates the dual challenges of access and quality, the government’s rationalisation strategy, supported by targeted teacher redistribution, remains central to bridging the gap.
PTI reports were used for all statements attributed to government officials.
According to statistics released by the Ministry of Education for the academic year 2024-25, India had 1,04,125 single-teacher schools catering to 33,76,769 students, averaging about 34 students per school. This figure falls short of the benchmarks set under the Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which mandates a pupil-teacher ratio of 30:1 at the primary level and 35:1 at the upper primary level.
Distribution across States and Union Territories
The highest number of single-teacher schools is concentrated in Andhra Pradesh (12,912), followed by Uttar Pradesh (9,508), Jharkhand (9,172), Maharashtra (8,152), Karnataka (7,349), and Lakshadweep (7,217). Madhya Pradesh also reports 7,217 schools, while West Bengal has 6,482, Rajasthan 6,117, Chhattisgarh 5,973, and Telangana 5,001. Delhi has nine single-teacher schools, whereas Andaman and Nicobar Islands have just four. The Union Territories of Puducherry, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh have no such schools.
When student enrolments are considered, Uttar Pradesh leads with 6,24,327 students, followed by Jharkhand (4,36,480), West Bengal (2,35,494), Madhya Pradesh (2,29,095), Karnataka (2,23,142), Andhra Pradesh (1,97,113), and Rajasthan (1,72,071).
Average student enrolments per school vary widely. Chandigarh and Delhi report the highest density, at 1,222 and 808 students per school, respectively. In contrast, Ladakh (59), Mizoram (70), Meghalaya (73), and Himachal Pradesh (82) reflect significantly lower numbers.
Trends and government measures
The number of single-teacher schools has been decreasing, from 1,18,190 in 2022-23 to 1,10,971 in 2023-24, marking a 6% drop.
“The government is on a mission to improve learning outcomes and ensure the best possible utilisation of available resources by undertaking school mergers and consolidation of schools, often called ‘rationalisation of schools’,” a senior official told PTI.
Highlighting the challenge posed by these schools, the official added, “Single-teacher schools hinder the teaching-learning process, and efforts are being made to redeploy teachers from schools with zero student enrolment to single-teacher schools to ensure optimal teacher availability.”
The official further explained that schools with high enrolments reflect optimum utilisation of infrastructure, while low-enrolment schools are being merged to balance resources and improve teacher deployment, PTI reports.
Implications for Education
While the decline in single-teacher schools is a positive indicator, the persistence of over one lakh such schools underscores a structural gap in India’s primary and upper-primary education system. For policymakers, it signals the need to prioritise teacher recruitment, redeployment, and strategic consolidation to align with the RTE’s stipulated ratios.
The data also reveals stark regional disparities, from Andhra Pradesh’s high concentration of single-teacher schools to Chandigarh’s high student density per school, reflecting uneven utilisation of educational infrastructure across the country.
As India navigates the dual challenges of access and quality, the government’s rationalisation strategy, supported by targeted teacher redistribution, remains central to bridging the gap.
PTI reports were used for all statements attributed to government officials.
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