New Delhi: A concerning revelation has exposed a crack in the country's education system, with official data from the Union Ministry of Education showing that over 8,000 schools across India currently have zero student enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic session.

The data further highlights a severe operational paradox: these 8,000+ schools collectively employ more than 20,000 teachers despite having absolutely no students registered.

Among the states grappling with this issue, West Bengal ranks number one in the country for having the highest number of schools with zero enrollment. Telangana follows closely in the second spot.

A senior official noted that school education is a subject on the State List. Consequently, the Union Education Ministry has reportedly alerted and instructed the respective State Governments to address and resolve this critical issue of resource allocation mismatch.

While the current figures are alarming, there has been a notable improvement compared to the previous year. The number of such schools with zero enrollment stood at 12,954 last year, indicating a reduction in the total count. Kathe Dabbi(Kannada) Paperback – 1 September 2021

Moreover, the report brings some positive news, stating that several states and union territories have successfully eliminated this problem entirely. Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, along with all Union Territories, have reported having no schools in this zero-enrollment category.

The Ministry’s directive underscores the need for states to undertake effective measures, such as rationalisation of teacher postings, potential school consolidation, or focused campaigns to boost student admissions, to ensure optimal utilisation of educational infrastructure and teaching staff. Also Read: DCM D.K. Shivakumar Announces Cubbon Park Development, Discusses High Court Relocation