**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 216 in Lok Sabha, answered on December 1, 2025, concerning single-teacher schools in Maharashtra. The question addressed the prevalence of single-teacher schools, teacher vacancies, actions against non-compliant schools regarding teacher-student ratios, and the impact on education quality in tribal and remote areas. The response clarifies the role of the State and Union Territory (UT) governments in education regulation and teacher recruitment.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Constitutional Context:**
* Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution, giving both the central and state governments regulatory authority.
* Regulation, maintenance, and supervision of schools, as well as teacher service conditions, fall under the purview of State and UT Governments.
* **Teacher Recruitment and Vacancies:**
* Teacher recruitment is an ongoing process influenced by retirements, resignations, and increased student enrollment.
* The Central Government consistently urges States and UTs to expedite teacher recruitment and redeployment.
* **Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR):**
* Advisories are issued to States and UTs to maintain appropriate PTR.
* Periodic review meetings are held with States/UTs to encourage the reduction of single-teacher schools.
* **Financial Support:**
* The Central Government, through Samagra Shiksha, provides intervention-wise funds in lump sums to State/UT Governments, including support for teacher recruitment and deployment to maintain PTR norms.
* States/UTs further allocate funds to District, Block and Government Schools based on approved Samagra Shiksha interventions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: State and Union Territory (UT) Governments**
* **Impact**: Responsible for regulating, maintaining, and supervising schools, including teacher service conditions and recruitment.
* **Action Required**: Expedite teacher recruitment and redeployment, maintain appropriate Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTR), participate in periodic review meetings, and reduce the number of single-teacher schools. Allocate funds received from the Central Government to Districts, Blocks and Government schools in accordance with Samagra Shiksha guidelines.
**Stakeholder: Central Government**
* **Impact**: Oversees the education sector, provides guidance and funding to states, and ensures national education standards are met.
* **Action Required**: Continue to provide funding and guidance through Samagra Shiksha and other initiatives, monitor the progress of teacher recruitment and PTR maintenance in states, and address concerns about single-teacher schools.
**Stakeholder: Students**
* **Impact**: Affected by the quality of education, which can be impacted by the number of teachers and the Pupil-Teacher Ratio.
* **Action Required**: None specified in the document.
**Stakeholder: Teachers**
* **Impact**: Job Security, Professional Development Opportunities.
* **Action Required**: None specified in the document.
Key Entities Referenced
Samagra Shiksha: A central government scheme providing funds for teacher recruitment and deployment to maintain pupil-teacher ratio (PTR).
Ministry of Education: The central ministry responsible for addressing the issue of single-teacher schools.
Maharashtra: The specific state where the issue of single-teacher schools is being addressed in the question.
National Education Policy: Referenced as setting standards for teacher-student ratios.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.216
ANSWERED ON - 01/12/2025
Single Teacher Schools in Maharashtra
†216. Smt. Dhanorkar Pratibha Suresh:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether is it true that 8,187 schools in Maharashtra have a single teacher in
every school and if so, the reasons therefor;
(b) the number of teaching post vacant in the State's schools and the time schedule
within which the said posts are likely to be filled;
(c) the details of action to be taken by the Government against such schools that do
not comply with the teacher-student ratio standards prescribe in the National
Education Policy; and
(d) the number of schools run by single teacher in tribal and remote areas of the
State and its impact on the quality of education for students along with the survey
report prepared by the Government in this regards, district-wise?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (d): Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution. Regulation,
maintenance and supervision of school as well as service terms and conditions of
teachers come under the purview of the respective State and Union Territory (UT)
Government.
The recruitment of teachers in schools is a continuous process and the vacancies
keep arising due to retirement, resignation and additional requirements on account of
enhanced students’ strength/new schools. The Central Government has been
consistently pursuing the matter of expeditious recruitment and redeployment of
teachers with the States and UTs. Advisories to maintain appropriate Pupil-Teacher
Ratio (PTR) have also been issued to States and UTs from time to time. Further,
periodic review meetings are conducted with the State/UTs and are advised to
reduce the number of single teacher schools in the State if any.Under Samagra Shiksha, Central Government provides intervention-wise funds to
State/UT Government in lump sum, including support for teacher recruitment and
deployment to maintain appropriate PTR as per norms. The States/UTs further
release the funds to District, Block and Government Schools based on the approvals
for implementation of the interventions provided under the Samagra Shiksha.
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