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  • By Younus Rashid
  • Comments 0
  • 29 Mar 2026

‘3,192 schools in J&K have under 10 or zero students’

2,518 teachers posted in such institutions; 1,732 merged since 2019 9,078 without boundary walls, 10,896 without playgrounds 4,481 toilets under construction

Srinagar, Mar 28: The J&K government on Saturday informed the Legislative Assembly that 3,192 schools across the Union Territory reported under 10 or zero students since 2022, with 2,518 teachers posted in such institutions. While 1,732 schools have been merged since 2019, and thousands continue to lack basic infrastructure, according to an official reply to an unstarred question tabled by MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania. 

The reply stated that the Jammu division accounts for 1,494 such schools with 1,934 teachers, while the Kashmir division has 1,698 schools with 584 teachers. Kathua tops the list with 508 schools, followed by Baramulla with 396 and Shopian with 270.

On infrastructure, the department, citing UDISE data for 2025–26, said that out of 18,724 schools, 9,078 do not have boundary walls and 10,896 lack playgrounds. It added that 78 schools are without drinking water facilities, while 2,698 face a shortfall in boys' toilets and 57 in girls' toilets. 

The department said construction of 4,481 toilets is underway, including 1,441 for boys, 2,575 for girls, and 465 for children with special needs, with works being executed through the Public Works (R&B) Department and the Rural Development Department at various stages of completion.

On recreational facilities and staffing, the department stated that no school in the Union Territory lacks recreational facilities and that the pupil-teacher ratio is maintained within prescribed norms. It added that Cluster Resource Coordinators are being utilised as subject-specific teachers to address staff shortages wherever reported.

Regarding school closures and mergers, the reply said 1,732 schools have been closed or merged since 2019, with a total salary expenditure of ₹13,816.66 crore. Of these, 1,427 schools fall in the Jammu division with an expenditure of ₹13,770.00 crore, while 305 schools in the Kashmir division account for ₹46.66 crore. Jammu district recorded the highest number, with 517 schools closed or merged.

On rationalisation, the Department of School Education said it is assessing shortages and surplus of teaching staff to maintain an appropriate pupil-teacher ratio in line with the National Education Policy. It said surplus staff is being redeployed to understaffed schools, while Cluster Resource Coordinators are being utilised to bridge gaps. The department added that schools are being equipped with smart classroom facilities, including digital boards, audio-visual tools, and interactive technologies, to support improved teaching methods.

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