463 Schools in Madhya Pradesh Receive No New Enrollments, 223 Have No Students
Madhya Pradesh, despite having the highest number of government schools and teachers in India, is facing an alarming issue—463 schools across the state reported zero new admissions for the academic year 2024–25, according to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) report by the Ministry of Education.
MP Ranks Third Nationally in Zero Enrollment Schools
With this number, Madhya Pradesh ranks third in the country for schools without new student admissions. West Bengal tops the list with 3,812 such schools, followed by Telangana with 2,245.
The report also reveals that 223 schools in Madhya Pradesh have no students at all, while 7,217 schools operate with just one teacher. MP stands fifth in the list of states with the highest number of single-teacher schools.
Statistics at a Glance
- Total government schools (MP): 1,22,120
- Total teachers: 7,17,493
- Total students: 1,51,72,607
- Student-teacher ratio: 21:1
- Single-teacher schools: 7,217
- Students in single-teacher schools: 2,29,095
Enrollment Decline Over the Years (Grades 1 to 8)
- 2022–23: 66 lakh
- 2023–24: 63 lakh
- 2024–25: 58 lakh
- 2025–26: 57 lakh (estimated)
Enrollment Issues in Bhopal
In Bhopal district alone, out of 771 primary schools, 44 schools recorded zero admissions in class one. Additionally, 178 schools enrolled just one student, and 225 schools had only two students.
Decline in Number of Schools, Increase in Teachers
The UDISE report highlights a decline of 1,392 schools compared to the previous year. However, the number of teachers increased by 78,968.
Government Efforts and Stated Reasons
The government has launched initiatives like free textbooks, uniforms, mid-day meals, "School Chalein Hum", and "Home Contact Campaign" to attract students. Despite these, enrollment rates, especially at the primary level, remain low. However, officials claim that the efforts have led to improvement—last year, over 1,200 schools had zero admissions, while this year that number dropped significantly to 463.
Reported Reasons for Low or No Enrollment
- Children migrating with parents for work.
- Lack of mapping with Samagra ID.
- Relocation issues causing loss of student records.
States with the Most Zero Enrollment Schools (2024–25)
- West Bengal: 3,812
- Telangana: 2,245
- Madhya Pradesh: 463
- Tamil Nadu: 311
- Rajasthan: 215
States with Most One-Teacher Schools
- Andhra Pradesh: 12,912
- Uttar Pradesh: 9,508
- Jharkhand: 9,172
- Maharashtra: 8,152
- Madhya Pradesh: 7,217
Officials expect further improvements as home contact campaigns and Samagra ID mapping continue. The next UDISE update may reflect better enrollment statistics.