Over 32,000 Students in Jammu Kashmir Studying in Single-Teacher Schools, Data Reveals

Over 32000 Students in Jammu Kashmir Studying in Single-Teacher Schools, Data Reveals

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Srinagar, Sep 26: In Jammu and Kashmir, more than 32,000 students are currently enrolled in schools that function with only a single teacher, raising concerns about the quality of education and staff shortages in the government education sector.

According to official data accessed by Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a total of 1,371 schools across the Union Territory are being run by lone teachers. Collectively, these institutions cater to 32,303 students.

The figures also highlight an increase compared to earlier reports. Previously, 1,330 schools were operating with single teachers, with 31,054 students enrolled. The latest data suggests that the number of such schools has risen by 41, alongside a higher student intake.

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This comes against the backdrop of a large-scale closure of schools in recent years. In 2024, over 4,400 government-run schools were shut down in J&K due to “zero or negligible” enrolment. By July 2024, the total number of government schools stood at 23,117, out of which 4,394 had been removed from the UDISE database.

While authorities and private school managements continue to claim that adequate staff and infrastructure are available, the official figures indicate otherwise. Educationists fear that the growing number of single-teacher schools could directly affect learning outcomes and overall academic performance.

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Despite repeated attempts, senior officials, including the Principal Secretary of the School Education Department and the Project Director of Samagra Shiksha, were unavailable for comment on the issue.