NEW DELHI: India has 5,149 government schools with zero students. Over 70 percent of these empty schools are located in Telangana and West Bengal, according to government data released for the 2024-25 academic year.
The education ministry recently shared these figures in Parliament. The broader issue of schools with very few students is also growing. The category of government schools with less than 10 or zero students has seen a sharp increase nationwide.
Rising Number of Low-Enrollment Schools
The number of government schools with less than 10 or zero students increased by 24 percent over the last two years. This figure rose from 52,309 in the 2022-23 academic year to 65,054 in 2024-25. These low-enrollment schools now constitute 6.42 percent of India’s total 10.13 lakh government schools.
Telangana and West Bengal Lead in Empty Schools
Telangana accounts for approximately 2,081 government schools with zero students. West Bengal has 1,571 such institutions. These two states combined hold more than 70 percent of all empty government schools in the country.
District-Level Data: Telangana
Nalgonda district in Telangana recorded the highest number of empty schools in the country. Data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) shows key districts:
| District | Zero-Enrollment Schools |
|---|---|
| Nalgonda | 315 |
| Mahabubabad | 167 |
| Warangal | 135 |
District-Level Data: West Bengal
Kolkata, West Bengal’s capital, registered the second-highest number of zero-enrollment government schools nationwide. Other key districts in the state include:
| District | Zero-Enrollment Schools |
|---|---|
| Kolkata | 211 |
| Purba Medinipur | 177 |
| Dakshin Dinajpur | 147 |
Teacher Deployment in Low-Enrollment Schools
Despite the lack of students, a significant number of teachers remain deployed in these institutions. Across India, 1.44 lakh teachers are currently posted in government schools with fewer than 10 students or no enrollment. This is an increase from 1.26 lakh teachers in the 2022-23 period.
West Bengal has 27,348 teachers assigned to 6,703 government schools in the low-enrollment category. This averages approximately four teachers per school. Bihar has deployed 3,600 teachers for 730 such schools, resulting in nearly five teachers per institution. This is more than double the national average of 2.2 teachers for this school category.
The education ministry stated that the recruitment and rational deployment of teachers fall under the purview of respective state governments.
Overall Decline in Government Schools
The data also shows a decline in the total number of government schools across the country. The count decreased from 10.32 lakh in the 2019-20 academic year to 10.13 lakh in 2024-25.