New Delhi, India – As India prepares to implement the ambitious New Education Policy (NEP), a shocking revelation has surfaced: over one lakh government primary schools in the country are being run by just one teacher each. This alarming statistic threatens the very foundation of the NEP, which emphasizes holistic and inclusive learning.
According to a recent report, these single-teacher schools are predominantly located in states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. These states alone account for tens of thousands of such schools. Odisha leads the list with 12,543 single-teacher schools, followed closely by Madhya Pradesh with 11,035 and Jharkhand with 8,294.
Education experts and policy-makers are raising serious concerns about how the goals of the NEP – such as multidisciplinary learning, critical thinking, and interactive pedagogy – can be achieved in the absence of a sufficient number of educators. A single teacher is not only responsible for handling multiple grades but also administrative tasks, midday meal schemes, and now, NEP implementation guidelines. The burden is simply too much.
The Ministry of Education had previously instructed all state governments to ensure adequate staffing before the start of the new academic session. However, implementation on the ground has been far from satisfactory. The data shows that more than 10 lakh teaching posts remain vacant across the country, with the total sanctioned posts being over 14.7 lakh. This includes both primary and upper primary levels.
While some states have begun recruitment processes, these are either slow or stuck in legal hurdles. The Education Ministry has urged states to complete recruitment on a mission mode, but progress has been patchy. The gap between policy and practice continues to widen, especially in rural and tribal regions where the shortage is most severe.
The issue of single-teacher schools is not new. It has been highlighted in multiple government audits and parliamentary committee reports. However, the pace of corrective action has been disappointingly slow. What’s more concerning is that in many tribal and hilly areas, these schools are the only accessible means of education for children, making the absence of teachers even more damaging.
The NEP was envisioned as a transformative policy aimed at revamping India’s education system by 2030. It emphasizes early childhood care, mother tongue instruction, vocational education, and digital integration. But none of this can be realistically achieved if the most basic requirement – trained and sufficient teachers – is not met.
Education activists have called for immediate attention and large-scale recruitment drives. They are demanding accountability from state governments and timely action from the central government. Without urgent intervention, the vision of a new India with equitable and quality education for all will remain a distant dream.
As India stands at a crucial educational crossroads, the question remains: How can we implement a new education policy when there are no teachers to teach?
States with Highest Number of Single-Teacher Schools:
Odisha: 12,543
Madhya Pradesh: 11,035
Jharkhand: 8,294
Karnataka: 7,477
Rajasthan: 7,673