SRINAGAR: Although hundreds of public schools have been closed due to low or zero student enrolment, 119 government-run schools in Jammu and Kashmir remain operational without any enrolled students, casting doubt on the efficiency of the education department.
Official data confirms that these 119 schools are functioning without a single student.
Att least 238 teachers are posted in these schools with no enrolled students.
The official data also highlights that Jammu and Kashmir faces a Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 1:16, significantly below the prescribed norm of 1:30. On average, seven teachers are posted per school across the region.
Despite repeated attempts, the Project Director of Jammu and Kashmir Samagra Shiksha was unavailable for comment.
In 2024, over 4,400 government-run schools were closed due to zero or extremely low student enrolment.
In July 2024, out of the 23,117 government schools in Jammu and Kashmir, 4,394 were removed from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data.
An official attributed the reduction in the number of public schools to the merging of those with zero or low enrolment into nearby institutions.
Primary schools were the most affected, with a 30% reduction in their overall count. Out of 12,977 government primary schools, only 8,966 remained functional after the merger. Similarly, 392 middle schools, three high schools, and one higher secondary school were removed from the UDISE Plus data.
Regarding private and other educational institutions, there were previously 5,688 such schools, of which only 5,555 are currently functional.
In total, Jammu and Kashmir had 28,805 government and private schools combined. However, this number has now decreased to 24,279, as per official figures.
Previously, the School Education Department identified over 1,200 government schools with low student enrolment and announced plans to merge them based on catchment and feasibility.
In April 2022, the department said it was preparing to merge 720 government-run schools with inadequate student enrolment. (KNO)
