National University Educational Planning Administration NUEPA Educational Institutions Elementary Education

National University of Educational Planning and Administration

National University of Educational Planning and Administration

New Delhi: At a time when the country is facing a shortage of educational institutions, over 32,000 schools do not have a single student, a government survey has revealed. And Kar-nataka has the highest number of such schools, standing at 7,945.

These institutions, 48 per cent of which are primary schools, are located mostly in rural areas and are in the public sector, said the report "Elementary Education in India 2005-06" that was prepared by National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA).

32, 000 schools sans a single student

Highest in State

The survey, which covered 11,24,033 schools in 35 states and union territories, found that 2.92 per cent of these schools had zero enrolment. While 15,791 were primary schools, the rest were upper primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, the report said.

Similarly, 69,353 schools or 6.17 per cent of the total number of schools, have less than 25 students. There were 1, 70,888 schools having between 26 and 50 students, the study found.

The percentage of schools with low enrolment was less in Bihar, Delhi, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, the report said.

"The main reasons for zero enrolment is that these schools either don't have a single teacher or they may be having para-teachers," said Sailendra Sharma, a lecturer of National University of Educational Planning and Administration who was associated with the survey

The report found that about 23,000 schools were yet to be provided with a teacher, while 1.3 lakh schools were single- teacher schools.

Sharma said, "In some areas, migration of people continues because of climatic conditions or some other factors and this accounts for low enrolment or zero enrolment of students."

He gave the example of Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.

National University of Educational Planning and Administration

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