Srinagar, August 15: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a significant reduction in the number of government schools over the past decade, with the network shrinking by 5,089 institutions. At the same time, the latest NITI Aayog assessment has highlighted concerns over schools with extremely low or no enrolment and shortages of teachers.
Government data shows that the number of government schools in J&K declined from 23,874 in 2014-15 to 18,785 in 2023-24, representing a reduction of more than 21 per cent.
The biggest decline occurred after 2018-19. The number of government schools stood at 24,080 that year before falling to 23,165 in 2019-20. The figure remained around 23,000 until 2021-22 before dropping sharply to 18,785 in 2022-23 and remaining at the same level in 2023-24.
However, the reduction of 5,089 schools should not necessarily be interpreted as the physical closure of an equivalent number of institutions. Government data refers to processes including closure and merger, while NITI Aayog has linked the broader decline to rationalisation, consolidation and merging of under-enrolled schools.
The latest NITI Aayog assessment, based on UDISE 2024-25 data, states that school consolidation is intended to optimise resources rather than simply increase or maintain the number of institutions.
However, the figures for Jammu and Kashmir raise broader questions about accessibility, staffing and learning outcomes.
According to the report, 146 government schools in J&K recorded zero enrolment during 2024-25. Despite having no students, these institutions continued to remain in official records, with 61 teachers posted across them.
The report notes that zero-enrolment schools can continue to receive financial and human resources when administrative records are not updated in line with the situation on the ground.
Another concern is the number of single-teacher schools. As per the same NITI Aayog data, 1,371 government schools in J&K were operating with only one teacher, collectively serving 32,303 students.
Such arrangements can place considerable pressure on teachers, who may have to handle multiple grades along with administrative responsibilities, potentially affecting classroom instruction.
The issue becomes more significant when considered alongside learning outcomes.
In PARAKH 2024, J&K recorded scores of 46 per cent in Language, 39 per cent in Mathematics and 41 per cent in The World Around Us. The corresponding national averages were 57 per cent, 46 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.
The figures indicate that J&K remained below the national average across all three assessed areas.
The data therefore presents a complex picture. Maintaining schools with extremely low or zero enrolment can place pressure on public resources, while consolidation may help improve the utilisation of teachers and infrastructure.
At the same time, merging schools in a geographically challenging region such as Jammu and Kashmir could increase the distance children have to travel, particularly in remote and sparsely populated areas.
NITI Aayog has acknowledged that difficult terrain, poor road connectivity, irregular transport and dispersed settlements can make access to education challenging in rural and remote regions.
Against this backdrop, questions remain about where students from schools removed through mergers or rationalisation have been accommodated, whether their travel distances have increased and whether consolidation has resulted in better teaching and learning outcomes.
The simultaneous presence of zero-enrolment schools and a large number of single-teacher institutions also raises questions about the effectiveness of school rationalisation, teacher deployment and student distribution.
The latest figures suggest that the challenge for Jammu and Kashmir is not merely the number of government schools in the system, but ensuring that available institutions are accessible, adequately staffed and capable of delivering quality education.
The NITI Aayog assessment thus presents a mixed picture: J&K's government school network has contracted considerably over the past decade, while the remaining system continues to face zero-enrolment institutions, single-teacher schools and learning outcomes below the national average.
Srinagar, August 15: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a significant reduction in the number of government schools over the past decade, with the network shrinking by 5,089 institutions. At the same time, the latest NITI Aayog assessment has highlighted concerns over schools with extremely low or no enrolment and shortages of teachers.
Government data shows that the number of government schools in J&K declined from 23,874 in 2014-15 to 18,785 in 2023-24, representing a reduction of more than 21 per cent.
The biggest decline occurred after 2018-19. The number of government schools stood at 24,080 that year before falling to 23,165 in 2019-20. The figure remained around 23,000 until 2021-22 before dropping sharply to 18,785 in 2022-23 and remaining at the same level in 2023-24.
However, the reduction of 5,089 schools should not necessarily be interpreted as the physical closure of an equivalent number of institutions. Government data refers to processes including closure and merger, while NITI Aayog has linked the broader decline to rationalisation, consolidation and merging of under-enrolled schools.
The latest NITI Aayog assessment, based on UDISE 2024-25 data, states that school consolidation is intended to optimise resources rather than simply increase or maintain the number of institutions.
However, the figures for Jammu and Kashmir raise broader questions about accessibility, staffing and learning outcomes.
According to the report, 146 government schools in J&K recorded zero enrolment during 2024-25. Despite having no students, these institutions continued to remain in official records, with 61 teachers posted across them.
The report notes that zero-enrolment schools can continue to receive financial and human resources when administrative records are not updated in line with the situation on the ground.
Another concern is the number of single-teacher schools. As per the same NITI Aayog data, 1,371 government schools in J&K were operating with only one teacher, collectively serving 32,303 students.
Such arrangements can place considerable pressure on teachers, who may have to handle multiple grades along with administrative responsibilities, potentially affecting classroom instruction.
The issue becomes more significant when considered alongside learning outcomes.
In PARAKH 2024, J&K recorded scores of 46 per cent in Language, 39 per cent in Mathematics and 41 per cent in The World Around Us. The corresponding national averages were 57 per cent, 46 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.
The figures indicate that J&K remained below the national average across all three assessed areas.
The data therefore presents a complex picture. Maintaining schools with extremely low or zero enrolment can place pressure on public resources, while consolidation may help improve the utilisation of teachers and infrastructure.
At the same time, merging schools in a geographically challenging region such as Jammu and Kashmir could increase the distance children have to travel, particularly in remote and sparsely populated areas.
NITI Aayog has acknowledged that difficult terrain, poor road connectivity, irregular transport and dispersed settlements can make access to education challenging in rural and remote regions.
Against this backdrop, questions remain about where students from schools removed through mergers or rationalisation have been accommodated, whether their travel distances have increased and whether consolidation has resulted in better teaching and learning outcomes.
The simultaneous presence of zero-enrolment schools and a large number of single-teacher institutions also raises questions about the effectiveness of school rationalisation, teacher deployment and student distribution.
The latest figures suggest that the challenge for Jammu and Kashmir is not merely the number of government schools in the system, but ensuring that available institutions are accessible, adequately staffed and capable of delivering quality education.
The NITI Aayog assessment thus presents a mixed picture: J&K's government school network has contracted considerably over the past decade, while the remaining system continues to face zero-enrolment institutions, single-teacher schools and learning outcomes below the national average.
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