In a startling revelation that underscores the deep structural cracks in India’s public education system, official data show that nearly 8,000 government schools across the country had zero student enrolments during the 2024–25 academic session — yet continued to employ more than 20,000 teachers.

The Ministry of Education’s latest statistics reveal that West Bengal alone accounted for nearly half of these empty schools — 3,812 — and 17,965 teachers still on the payroll.

Telangana followed with 2,245 schools and 1,016 teachers, while Madhya Pradesh reported 463 schools with 223 teachers.

The data mark a slight improvement from last year, when over 12,900 schools had no students. However, the numbers continue to expose major inefficiencies in the allocation of teaching staff and infrastructure, especially in rural and underpopulated areas.

Several states — including Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura — reported no schools with zero enrolment, reflecting tighter oversight and resource management. The same trend was observed across all Union Territories and Delhi.

“School education is a state subject. States have been advised to address the issue of zero enrolments and, where necessary, merge schools to optimise the use of resources,” a senior Education Ministry official told PTI.

In Uttar Pradesh, which reported 81 schools with zero students, the state education board has begun revoking recognition for institutions that have recorded no enrolments for three consecutive years.

The issue of single-teacher schools also remains pressing. More than 1.1 lakh schools across India still operate with just one teacher — serving over 33 lakh students.

Andhra Pradesh leads in the number of single-teacher schools, while Uttar Pradesh tops in total student enrolment in such institutions.

Although the count of single-teacher schools has fallen by nearly 6% since 2022–23, education experts warn that without targeted interventions, the twin problems of ghost schools and overstretched staff could continue to drain resources and compromise the quality of education for millions of children.