SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a significant increase in government schools with no student enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year, with the number rising to 146. This marks a substantial jump from the previous year’s figures.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that 65 government schools had reported zero student enrollment in the 2023-24 academic year. This figure has escalated to 146 schools for the 2024-25 period. Despite the lack of students, these institutions still have 61 teachers posted, raising concerns about the efficient deployment of educational resources.
Data presented in the Rajya Sabha on March 18, 2026, in response to a question from Member of Parliament Pramod Tiwari, revealed these figures. The data is drawn from UDISE+, the unified district information system for education, which serves as the national educational database.
The overall number of government schools in the Union Territory has seen fluctuations over recent academic years. In 2020-21, there were 23,167 schools. This number slightly increased to 23,173 in 2021-22. A notable decrease occurred in 2022-23, when the count dropped to 18,785 schools, a figure that has been maintained through the 2024-25 academic year.
Officials attribute the decrease in the total number of schools to consolidation efforts and the closure of underperforming or unviable institutions. However, the concurrent rise in zero-enrolment schools points to persistent challenges in ensuring student access and attendance in specific geographical areas across Jammu and Kashmir. These challenges may be linked to factors such as remoteness, infrastructure deficiencies, or socioeconomic conditions in affected regions.
The presence of teachers in schools with no enrolled students raises questions about the current system of teacher allocation and the mechanisms for addressing such anomalies. The administration is expected to review these figures to formulate strategies for improving enrollment and ensuring that educational resources are utilized effectively across all areas of the Union Territory.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
