8k govt primary schools run by single teachers: Survey
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Ranchi: More than 8,000 primary schools across the state, which account for nearly one-third of the total govt run primary cradles statewide, are operating with a single teacher, a new study released on Friday has claimed.
The report, titled Single Teacher Primary Schools (STePS), was released in Manika in Latehar district. The study was carried out by Pallavi Kumari and Sarang Gaikwad for NREGA Sahayta Kendra, Manika with the support of social activist and noted economist Jean Dreze, who is also a professor at Ranchi University. The report is based on a detailed survey conducted in early 2025 by the NREGA Sahayata Kendra, Manika.
The findings present a picture of the condition of single-teacher schools (STSs), particularly in underprivileged and tribal-dominated regions.
Of the 55 single-teacher schools identified in Manika block, the survey covered 40.
The report revealed that while each school had an average of 59 students, some had students over 100. One school in Bichlidag village was found to have as many as 144 students, all under the charge of just one teacher.
The demographic composition of students is another area of concern. Around 84% of the children attending these STSs belong to scheduled caste (SC) or scheduled tribe (ST) communities.
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Most of the teachers are contract-based employees, with 78% aged above 40 years, and only 15% being women. The study also recorded that only about one-third of the enrolled students were present on the day of the survey.
As per the report, in 87.5% of the surveyed schools, no active teaching was observed at the time of the visit. Teachers cited excessive administrative burdens, such as the maintenance of records and the generation of APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) numbers for students, as key reasons for their inability to focus on classroom instruction.
Moreover, only 17.5% of the surveyed schools had functional toilets, and the quality of midday meals was reported to be poor, with many schools failing to provide essential nutrition items such as eggs, which are mandated under government norms.
The report also highlighted that no teachers have been appointed in the state since 2016, the crisis has deepened over the years. As per the report, the state had 95,897 vacant teaching posts in government schools during 2020–21.
However, authorities have not issued any comments on the matter.
When contacted, education secretary Uma Shankar Singh said, " The recruitment process for 26,000 teachers in the state is currently underway. Within the next three to four months, they will be appointed. The newly appointed teachers will be appointed in schools in rural and urban areas where there are shortages of teachers. "
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