Single-teacher schools in India educate over 33 lakh students, Andhra leads in numbers

India has over 1 lakh schools run by a single teacher, educating more than 33 lakh students, with Andhra Pradesh reporting the highest number of such schools and Uttar Pradesh hosting the largest student population, according to official statistics.

The Ministry of Education’s 2024-25 statistics reveal that 104,125 schools nationwide operate with only one teacher, educating a total of 3,376,769 students, averaging around 34 students per school.

The Right to Education Act, 2009, recommends a student-teacher ratio of 30:1 for primary grades and 35:1 for upper primary grades.

States with the most single-teacher schools include Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep.

However, when it comes to student numbers in these schools, Uttar Pradesh tops the list, followed by Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.

The total number of single-teacher schools has dropped from 118,190 in 2022-23 to 110,971 in 2023-24, a decrease of nearly 6%.

A senior government official explained, “The government is working to improve learning outcomes and optimize available resources through school mergers and rationalization.”

The official added, “Single-teacher schools slow down teaching and learning. Teachers from schools with no enrollment are being redeployed to single-teacher schools to ensure adequate staffing.”

Breakdown by state shows Andhra Pradesh with 12,912 such schools, Uttar Pradesh 9,508, Jharkhand 9,172, Maharashtra 8,152, Karnataka 7,349, Lakshadweep 7,217, Madhya Pradesh 7,217, West Bengal 6,482, Rajasthan 6,117, Chhattisgarh 5,973, and Telangana 5,001.

Delhi has nine, while Puducherry, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh report none. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have four.

Uttar Pradesh also leads in student enrollments with 624,327 children in single-teacher schools, followed by Jharkhand (436,480), West Bengal (235,494), Madhya Pradesh (229,095), Karnataka (223,142), Andhra Pradesh (197,113), and Rajasthan (172,071).

When looking at average student numbers per school, Chandigarh and Delhi stand out with 1,222 and 808 students per school, respectively.

States like Ladakh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Himachal Pradesh have far smaller averages, with 59, 70, 73, and 82 students per school.

The official noted, “Schools with higher enrollments indicate better utilization of infrastructure. Low-enrollment schools are being merged to ensure resources are used efficiently.”