Significant Number of Government Schools in India Report Zero Enrollment

Recent data reveals a concerning trend in India's education system, with over 5,000 government schools reporting zero student enrollment. The majority of these schools are located in Telangana and West Bengal, raising questions about the effectiveness of educational policies. The statistics indicate a significant increase in schools with minimal enrollment, prompting discussions on teacher allocation and resource management. This article delves into the implications of these findings and the urgent need for reforms in the education sector.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 17, 2025, 18:04 IST

Zero Enrollment in Government Schools

According to data presented in Parliament by the Ministry of Education, there are a total of 5,149 government schools across India that have no students enrolled. Notably, around 70 percent of these schools are located in Telangana and West Bengal, with Telangana accounting for approximately 2,081 schools and West Bengal having 1,571 such institutions. The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) reveals that the highest number of empty schools in Telangana is found in Nalgonda district with 315, followed by Mahbubnagar with 167 and Warangal with 135.

Enrollment Issues in West Bengal

In West Bengal, the capital city of Kolkata has 211 government schools with zero enrollment, marking the second-highest figure in the country. The districts of East Medinipur and South Dinajpur follow closely with 177 and 147 schools, respectively, reporting similar issues. Furthermore, there has been a sharp increase in the number of schools with ten or fewer students enrolled. Over the past two years, the count of such government schools has surged by 24 percent, rising from 52,309 in 2022-23 to 65,054 in 2024-25. The government informed members of Parliament, including Karti P. Chidambaram and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, that these schools now represent 6.42 percent of all government schools in the country.

Teacher Deployment in Under-Enrolled Schools

Currently, there are approximately 144,000 teachers assigned to government schools across India that have ten or fewer students or no enrollment at all. Official statistics indicate that West Bengal has 6,703 government schools in this low enrollment category, employing 27,348 teachers, which results in an average of about four teachers per school. Similarly, Bihar has deployed 3,600 teachers across 730 such schools, averaging nearly five teachers per institution, significantly exceeding the national average of 2.2 teachers per school.