India’s school education system has made remarkable progress in expanding access to education over the past two decades. Thousands of new schools have been established, enrolment rates have improved, and infrastructure has steadily expanded. However, the latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2025-26 report has highlighted a new challenge—many schools across several states are now operating with far fewer students than their capacity, creating significant inefficiencies in the use of educational infrastructure.
The findings point to a widening gap between the number of schools and actual student enrolment. While some institutions struggle with overcrowded classrooms, others have only a handful of students despite having adequate buildings and facilities. This uneven distribution has reignited discussions on school mapping, demographic shifts, and the need for evidence-based education planning.
UDISE+ Data Highlights Uneven Student Distribution
According to the latest UDISE+ report, India recorded approximately 24.72 crore students enrolled during the 2025-26 academic year. Despite this massive enrolment base, student distribution across schools remains highly uneven.
Several states have a large number of schools functioning significantly below their intended capacity, while urban and high-density regions continue to witness pressure on existing educational infrastructure.
Experts believe the issue is no longer about simply building more schools but ensuring that available infrastructure matches local demographic realities.
Why Are Many Schools Underutilised?
Education planners attribute the trend to multiple structural and demographic changes that have evolved over the past decade.
1. Declining Birth Rates
Many states have witnessed falling fertility rates, resulting in fewer children entering the school system each year.
2. Migration Towards Urban Areas
Rural-to-urban migration has left several village schools with shrinking enrolment while urban schools continue to receive increasing numbers of students.
3. Shift Towards Private Schools
Growing parental preference for private education has reduced enrolment in many government schools. Recent education data also indicates that government schools have lost millions of students over the past few years while private institutions have continued to expand.
4. Changing Population Patterns
Population movement due to employment opportunities has altered the demand for schools in several districts, leaving some institutions underutilised despite having adequate infrastructure.
States Showing Significant Infrastructure Mismatch
The UDISE+ analysis points to notable differences among states in terms of school utilisation.
Some states have a large number of schools with very low enrolment, while others continue to experience classroom shortages in densely populated regions. This uneven distribution suggests that school planning must increasingly rely on district-level demographic data rather than state-wide averages.
Education experts emphasise that infrastructure expansion alone cannot guarantee improved educational outcomes if student distribution is not periodically reviewed.
The Financial Cost of Underutilised Schools
Maintaining schools with very small student populations places considerable pressure on public finances.
Even schools with limited enrolment require:
- Teacher salaries
- Building maintenance
- Electricity and water supply
- Administrative staff
- Mid-Day Meal (PM POSHAN) services
- Learning materials
- Digital infrastructure
When student numbers remain low, the per-student expenditure increases significantly, reducing overall efficiency in public education spending.
This has prompted policymakers to revisit school mapping exercises and explore ways to optimise infrastructure without compromising children’s access to education.
Balancing Efficiency with Accessibility
While consolidating schools may appear financially efficient, experts caution against adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
Many remote, tribal, hilly and border regions require neighbourhood schools despite relatively low enrolment because students often face transportation challenges.
Closing or merging schools without adequate planning could:
- Increase travel distance for young children
- Raise dropout risks
- Reduce access to education in remote communities
- Affect girls’ education disproportionately
Therefore, education planning must carefully balance efficiency with equity and accessibility.
Contrasting Trends: Infrastructure Improves Even as Enrolment Shifts
Interestingly, the latest UDISE+ reports also reveal encouraging progress in school infrastructure nationwide.
Government schools have recorded notable improvements in:
- Internet connectivity
- Smart classrooms
- Functional electricity
- Drinking water facilities
- Separate toilets for girls and boys
- Digital learning infrastructure
The percentage of government schools with internet access and digital facilities has improved considerably over recent years, narrowing the gap with private institutions.
This indicates that while infrastructure quality is improving, its utilisation remains uneven across different regions.
Teacher Deployment Also Needs Better Planning
The infrastructure mismatch is closely linked with teacher deployment.
In some regions:
- Schools have very few students but adequate teaching staff.
- Other schools face teacher shortages despite high enrolment.
Recent national data also indicates that more than one lakh schools continue to operate with only a single teacher, highlighting another dimension of resource imbalance.
Experts recommend synchronising teacher postings with enrolment trends to improve both educational quality and administrative efficiency.
