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According to UDISE+ data, there were 104,125 single-teacher schools in the country in 2024-25, a figure that dropped to 100,843 in 2025-26. This represents a total reduction of 3,282 such schools over the course of a year.

Single-Teacher School Ratio: The number of schools in the country run by a single teacher has declined. According to UDISE+ data, there were 104,125 single-teacher schools in 2024-25, falling to 100,843 in 2025-26—a net decrease of 3,282 schools in one year. These figures come from the central government’s official school education database. It is worth noting that single-teacher schools are those where a single teacher is responsible for all classes and subjects.

Reduction of Over 11,000 Schools Across Five States

Data indicates a total reduction of more than 11,000 single-teacher schools across five states. This figure is more than three times the net national reduction of 3,282. This implies that while some states saw significant declines, increases in other states influenced the overall national figure.

Sharpest Decline in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh recorded the largest drop in the number of single-teacher schools. The state had 7,217 such schools in 2024-25, a number that fell to 2,269 in 2025-26—a reduction of 4,948 schools in a single year. Chhattisgarh follows next; there, the number of single-teacher schools dropped from 5,973 to 2,461. Consequently, the number of such schools in the state decreased by 3,512. Uttar Pradesh also saw a decline in the number of such schools; the count dropped from 9,508 in 2024-25 to 7,874 in 2025-26—a reduction of 1,634 schools. Nevertheless, among major states, Uttar Pradesh still has the highest number of single-teacher schools. Punjab saw a decrease of 682 such schools, while Gujarat recorded a drop of 601.

Sharpest rise in single-teacher schools in Andhra Pradesh

While the number of single-teacher schools declined in many states, the opposite trend was observed in others. Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest increase, with the number of such schools rising from 12,912 in 2024-25 to 16,357 in 2025-26—an addition of 3,445 schools in a single year. Maharashtra saw an increase of 1,117 single-teacher schools, and Rajasthan recorded a rise of 1,083. Meanwhile, Karnataka and Jharkhand saw increases of 693 and 655 such schools, respectively.

What did the government say regarding the teaching system?

In the Rajya Sabha, the central government cited several common reasons for the reduction or vacancy of teaching posts. These include teacher retirements, resignations, the creation of new posts, fresh appointments, and fluctuations in student enrollment. However, the government did not clarify the specific impact of these factors in states where the number of single-teacher schools saw a sharp decline or increase.

Number of schools dropped, but the reason remains unclear

According to experts, a reduction in the number of single-teacher schools might initially appear to be a positive change; however, available data does not clarify whether this decrease resulted from the recruitment of new teachers or from school mergers, closures, or reclassifications. In other words, it is not possible to fully assess improvements in teacher availability based solely on the decline in the number of single-teacher schools.

Improvement Seen in Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Data from UDISE has also shed light on the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR). For the 2024-25 period, the country’s overall PTR was reported as 24 students per teacher. Meanwhile, data for 2025-26 provides a breakdown across different levels of education: the PTR stood at 19 at the primary level, 17 at the upper primary level, 15 at the secondary level, and 23 at the higher secondary level.