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| 146 schools without students, 1,371 with only one teacher, reveals NITI Aayog report | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 10: A startling revelation in the latest report by NITI Aayog has brought to light significant inefficiencies in the school education system of Jammu and Kashmir, with 146 government schools in the Union Territory reporting zero student enrolment.
The report, which assesses the state of school education across India, points to a troubling mismatch between educational infrastructure and actual student presence. Despite having no students on their rolls, these 146 schools continue to function on paper, and remarkably, 61 teachers remain posted in these institutions, drawing salaries and utilizing public resources even though there is not a single child to teach.
The findings have raised serious questions about administrative oversight and the effectiveness of educational planning in the Union Territory, especially at a time when many schools in remote and far-flung areas are struggling with an acute shortage of teaching staff.
The report further highlights another pressing concern: 1,371 government schools in Jammu and Kashmir are being run by a single teacher. These schools collectively cater to 32,303 students, placing an enormous burden on lone educators who are expected to handle multiple classes, subjects, and administrative responsibilities.
Education experts say that such a situation severely compromises the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in geographically challenging and underserved regions where access to education is already difficult.
What makes the situation in Jammu and Kashmir even more striking is the contrast with neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, another mountainous state with similarly difficult terrain. According to the same report, Himachal Pradesh has not a single government school with zero enrolment, reflecting better educational planning, regular updating of records, and more efficient deployment of teachers.
The issue of zero-enrolment schools is not confined to Jammu and Kashmir. Across India, the report notes that 7,993 schools reported zero student enrolment. West Bengal accounted for the highest number with 3,812 such schools, while Telangana also figured prominently in the report.
According to NITI Aayog, these schools continue to receive financial allocations and human resources primarily because administrative records have not been updated to reflect the ground reality. This discrepancy leads to misallocation of public funds and hampers efforts to direct resources to institutions where they are genuinely needed.
The report underscores the urgent need for rationalisation of school infrastructure and teacher deployment in Jammu and Kashmir. Educationists have long advocated for the consolidation of non-functional schools and the redeployment of teachers to understaffed institutions, particularly in remote areas where students often face inadequate teaching support.
The presence of teachers in schools with no students, alongside thousands of children studying in single-teacher schools, highlights a systemic imbalance that calls for immediate corrective action.
With education forming the backbone of social and economic development, the findings serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and administrators in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure that public resources are used efficiently and that every child receives access to quality education. |
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