Parliament Question: Student-Teacher Ratio in Rural Schools of Uttar Pradesh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 3602 ANSWERED ON – 10/08/2026 Student-Teacher Ratio in Rural Schools of Uttar Pradesh † 3602. Ms Iqra Choudhary: Mrs Ruchi Vira: Shri Devesh Shakya: Shri Babu Singh Kushwaha: Shri Neeraj Maurya: Shri Lalji Verma: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the recent news reports which have shown that the student-teacher ratio in schools in dalit and backward community dominated areas of Uttar Pradesh particularly Saharanpur district and Etah-Kasganj and Jaunpur Lok Sabha Constituencies is much higher than the national standards, if so, the details of such schools and the step taken to fill the vacant posts; (b) whether it is a fact that students are not getting the intended benefits of vocational education due to the lack of workshops, equipment and trained instructors in many schools in rural areas especially Etah-Kasganj Lok Sabha Constituency despite the allocation of funds for vocational education, if so, the details of steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to remove these deficiencies to address the issue; (c) whether any study has been conducted on the impact of delays in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for uniform and textbook under Samagra Shiksha on student enrollment and attendance and if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether the Government proposes to promote skill and technical educations or introduce special courses in schools in accordance with the requirements of local industries and employment needs in rural areas especially Jaunpur Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a): Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, the majority of schools in the country are under the administrative control of the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Accordingly, the recruitment, service conditions and deployment of teachers fall within the administrative domain of the concerned States/UTs.Para 2.3 of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 emphasises maintaining a PTR of under 30:1 in each school and under 25:1 in areas with a high proportion of socio- economically disadvantaged students As informed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) at the Government Primary and Upper Primary levels in the districts of Saharanpur, Etah, Kasganj and Jaunpur is as follows: Student Teacher State S. No. Etah Jaunpur Kasganj Saharanpur Ratio level 1 Primary Level 19 17 16 21 18 2 Upper Primary Level 26 19 23 27 23 (b) : Under Samagra Shiksha scheme, financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for giving exposure to Skill Education to students of Grades 6 to 8 and introduction of Skill courses from Grades 9 to 12, aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). So far, 138 Job Roles (JRs) / Skill subjects have been approved to be offered to class 9 to class 12 school students. Regular teacher training programmes for skill teachers/trainers are being organized to enhance their practical teaching and training skills in their domain. They also gain industry experience and exposure to the latest technologies and practices. As informed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the Vocational Education is being implemented in 13 Government Secondary Schools and 7 Government-Aided Secondary Schools of Etah district. Vocational laboratory equipment is available in all approved schools, and trade-wise Vocational Trainers have been deployed. Students are also provided opportunities to participate in guest lectures and industrial visits as part of the programme. Vocational training is offered in sectors including Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITeS), Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Organized Retail, Agriculture, Power, Construction, Electronics & Hardware, Beauty & Wellness, Tourism, Automotive, Security, and Apparel, Made-ups & Home Furnishing. Further, as informed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, vocational education is being implemented in 13 Government Secondary Schools and 7 Government-Aided Secondary Schools of Kasganj district. Vocational laboratory equipment is available in all 13 Government Secondary Schools, and trade-wise Vocational Trainers have been deployed in all approved schools. Students enrolled under the programme are also provided opportunities to attend guest lectures and participate in industrial visits as part of their vocational training. The programme covers multiple vocational sectors including Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITeS), Organized Retail, Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills, Agriculture, Power, Beauty & Wellness, Food Processing, Automotive, and Apparel, Made-ups & Home Furnishing.(c): As informed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, financial assistance for uniforms is provided to eligible students through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode, and textbooks are distributed at the beginning of the academic session. There has been no delay in the provision of these benefits. The State Government regularly reviews the implementation of the scheme, including the timely release and utilization of funds, to ensure effective delivery of entitlements. (d): As envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Union Government has integrated skill/ vocational education into the school curriculum to foster employability, dignity of labour, and work-related capacities from foundational levels. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), aligned with NEP 2020, institutionalizes skill education by integrating it directly into the middle and secondary stages to ensure parity with academic subjects. Integration of skill education with the general education promotes critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, life skills, and experiential learning, thus ensuring holistic development of children. This integration is aimed at equipping students with practical knowledge through project-based learning, both in rural and urban areas. Students will learn about what people do in various vocations in rural and urban areas and will be exposed to future career prospects, thereby promoting local empowerment through education As informed by the State of Uttar Pradesh, at present, Vocational Education is being implemented in 7 Government Secondary Schools and 40 Government-Aided Secondary Schools in Jaunpur district. The programme offers vocational training in a range of sectors, including Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITeS), Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Organized Retail, Tourism, Automotive, Security, Apparel, and Made-ups & Home Furnishing. *****