India has over 1 lakh schools run by a single teacher, catering to more than 33 lakh students nationwide, according to the Ministry of Education’s latest data for the academic year 2024–25. On average, each of these schools has around 34 students.

Andhra Pradesh tops the list with 12,912 single-teacher schools, while Uttar Pradesh leads in student enrolment, hosting over 6.2 lakh students in such institutions. Other states with significant numbers include Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep.

In contrast, Delhi has just nine single-teacher schools, and several Union Territories—including Puducherry, Ladakh, and Chandigarh—report none.

The figures reflect a slight decline from previous years, with single-teacher schools dropping from 1,18,190 in 2022–23 to 1,10,971 in 2023–24, a reduction of roughly six percent. Officials attribute this to ongoing “rationalisation of schools,” a government initiative aimed at merging low-enrolment schools and redeploying teachers from underutilized institutions to ensure better access and learning outcomes.

Regions such as Chandigarh and Delhi report the highest average students per single-teacher school, with 1,222 and 808 students respectively, highlighting efficient infrastructure use. Conversely, states like Ladakh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Himachal Pradesh maintain far lower averages, signaling the need for strategic consolidation.

“The government is committed to improving learning outcomes by optimizing teacher availability and school resources,” a senior education official said, emphasizing that single-teacher schools, while vital in remote areas, often hinder the teaching-learning process when under-resourced.