NEARLY 100,000 INDIAN SCHOOLS LACK TOILETS FOR GIRLS, 61,000 HAVE NO WORKING TOILETS

Wed 20 May 2026:

A NITI Aayog report on the School Education System in India reveals that 98,592 government schools still lack functional girls’ toilets, while 61,540 schools have no usable toilets at all.

The report states that the percentage of schools with functional toilets increased from 85.17% in 2014 to 94% in 2024–25.

The report raises serious concerns about basic facilities in government schools, exposing major gaps in the country’s education system. India has 14.71 lakh schools serving more than 24.69 crore students.

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Electricity access in schools remains uneven despite improvements over the years. According to UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) 2024–25, around 1.19 lakh schools still lack functional electricity connections, making the learning environment more difficult for students.

Around 14,505 schools still do not have functional water sources, while nearly 59,829 schools lack hand-washing facilities, affecting students’ health and hygiene.

In many remote and sparsely populated regions, a single teacher is expected to manage multiple grades along with administrative responsibilities. According to UDISE+ 2024–25, more than 1 lakh schools in India operate with only one teacher, accounting for over 7% of all schools. This often results in multi-grade classrooms where students from different grades are taught together, limiting individual attention and affecting the quality of learning.

Inadequate resource allocation further weakens the system. Across the country, 7,993 schools reported zero student enrolment, with the highest numbers recorded in West Bengal and Telangana. Despite having no students, these schools continue to receive financial and human resources due to outdated records, highlighting the gap between ground realities and educational planning.

While dropout rates have improved compared to previous years, 11.5% of students still drop out at the secondary level.

However, the report notes that enrolment in government schools has declined from 71% in 2005 to 49.24% in 2024–25, reflecting growing dissatisfaction among parents with the public education system.

The report further reveals that India’s school network has shrunk over the last decade. The number of schools declined from 15.58 lakh in 2017–18 to 14.71 lakh in 2024–25, a reduction of nearly 92,000 schools.

According to the report, this decline reflects school consolidation and rationalisation measures carried out under schemes such as Samagra Shiksha.

This article is republished from Maktoob Media. Read the original article.