Over 1 Lakh Indian Schools Operate with Just One Teacher, Dropout Rates Fall
New Delhi: More than one lakh schools across India are functioning with only a single teacher, according to government data released on Tuesday. The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report for 2025-26, published by the Ministry of Education, reveals that 1,00,843 schools have just one teacher each. This comes alongside a continued decline in school dropout rates at the preparatory and secondary levels.
Andhra Pradesh reported the highest number of single-teacher schools at 16,357, followed by Jharkhand with 9,827. Punjab recorded 1,749 such schools. The data covers 14,66,682 schools nationwide.
The report also flagged 5,663 schools with zero student enrolment. West Bengal accounted for the largest share—4,133 schools—with no enrolled students. Several states and Union territories, including Chandigarh, Goa, Delhi, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, and Haryana, reported no zero-enrolment schools. Punjab had 19 schools with no students, yet 53 teachers were posted to them.
Girls' enrolment saw a slight increase, rising to 48.4% in 2025-26 from 48.3% the previous year. Infrastructure improvements were also noted: schools with ramps and handrails for students with disabilities rose to 58.2% from 54.9%, and internet connectivity increased to 67.4% from 63.5%. Basic facilities remain widespread: 95% of schools have electricity, 98.5% have girls' toilets, 97.2% have boys' toilets, 96.9% have handwashing stations, and 99.5% have safe drinking water.
Dropout rates fell at both levels. For Classes 3 to 5, the rate dropped to 1.8% from 2.3% in 2024-25. At the secondary level (Classes 9 and 10), it fell from 8.2% to 7%. The Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) remained within recommended limits: 10 at foundational, 12 at preparatory, 17 at middle, and 21 at secondary stages—well below the 30:1 norm under the National Education Policy 2020.
Chandigarh and Delhi had the highest number of students per school with PTR within Right to Education Act norms, indicating efficient infrastructure use. In contrast, Ladakh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Meghalaya had notably low student numbers per school, suggesting potential for rationalisation.
