- By Sarju Saran Tiwari
- Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:27 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Over 1 lakh schools function with just one teacher.
- Dropout rates fell across preparatory and secondary levels.
- Girls' enrolment and school infrastructure improved significantly.
Government data has revealed that over one lakh schools across India are functioning with just a single teacher, even as dropout rates fell across preparatory and secondary levels in the last academic year. The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report for 2025-26, released by the Education Ministry on Tuesday, covers 14,66,682 schools nationwide and shows Andhra Pradesh leading with 16,357 single-teacher schools, followed by Jharkhand and Punjab, alongside gains in girls' enrolment and school infrastructure.
Zero-Enrolment And Single-Teacher Schools
The report flagged 5,663 institutions with zero student enrolment nationwide, with West Bengal accounting for the largest share at 4,133 such schools. Several states and Union Territories, including Chandigarh, Goa, Delhi, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Haryana, reported no zero-enrolment schools at all.
Punjab presented an unusual case, recording 19 schools with no students despite having 53 teachers posted to them. Combined with its 1,749 single-teacher schools, the state's figures point to uneven distribution of teaching staff relative to actual student presence on the ground.
Girls' Enrolment And Infrastructure Gains
Girls' representation in schools edged up marginally, with their enrolment share rising to 48.4 per cent in 2025-26 from 48.3 per cent the previous year. Infrastructure indicators also showed improvement, with schools equipped with ramps and handrails for students with disabilities rising to 58.2 per cent from 54.9 per cent.
Internet connectivity saw a sharper jump, climbing to 67.4 per cent from 63.5 per cent, a rise the report linked to efforts to strengthen digital learning. Basic facilities remained widespread too: 95 per cent of schools have electricity, 98.5 per cent have girls' toilets, and 99.5 per cent have safe drinking water access.
Fall In Dropout Rates:
India recorded a continued fall in dropout rates at both the preparatory and secondary levels in 2025-26, extending a trend seen over the previous three academic years. Dropout among students in Classes 3 to 5 fell to 1.8 per cent, down from 2.3 per cent in 2024-25.
At the secondary level, covering Classes 9 and 10, the dropout rate dropped from 8.2 per cent to 7 per cent over the same period, suggesting retention efforts are gaining traction even as staffing gaps persist in parts of the country.
Pupil-Teacher Ratios Within Recommended Limits
The Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) across the foundational, preparatory, middle and secondary stages stood at 10, 12, 17 and 21 respectively, comfortably within the 30:1 ratio recommended under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for effective classroom interaction.
Chandigarh and Delhi had the highest number of students per school within RTE Act norms, pointing to efficient use of infrastructure, while Ladakh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya were flagged for notably low student numbers per school, suggesting scope for rationalising school infrastructure in these regions.