by Bashir Ahmed
The latest UDISE data for 2024–25, released by the Ministry of Education on 28th August 2025, once again presents a worrying trend regarding the condition of government schools in Ladakh. Along with the rise in the number of tiny schools, the increase in single-teacher schools and zero-enrollment schools further intensifies the crisis in the government schooling system.
The data reveals that 10 schools in Ladakh have been identified as having zero enrollment, while 54 schools are functioning with only a single teacher. This highlights the seriousness of the crisis, as last year’s UDISE 2023–24 report had already identified 136 schools in Ladakh at risk. With an additional 64 schools added this academic year, a total of 200 schools over the last two academic sessions have either been closed by the administration or are on the verge of closure due to zero enrollment or dependence on single-teacher arrangements.
The report further shows that the average PTR (Pupil–Teacher Ratio) is 8:1 across all schools, including government, government-aided, and private institutions. Among these, government schools show the most favorable PTR at 5:1, compared to 17:1 in private schools. Another striking finding is the average student enrollment across different school types. In Ladakh, the overall average number of students per school is 59, while government schools record an average of just 32 students per school compared to 270 students in private schools. These figures clearly indicate that, despite the administration’s repeated claims of improving government schools through initiatives such as the “Council Model School,” the efforts have largely failed to deliver. The data also reveals that 52% of schools in Ladakh over 400 in totalhave an enrollment of fewer than 20 students. Among these, around 250 schools are surviving with fewer than 10 students enrolled.
These trends pose a serious threat to the sustainability of Ladakh. I am not against the decision of parents to admit their children to whichever school they prefer, but the failure of policy to counter the dominance of private schools is an issue that urgently needs to be addressed. Since Ladakh is essentially a land of villages, a crisis in the village education system is the first symptom that villages themselves are weakening and struggling to survive. In the last two academic years, the risk of closure faced by 200 schools is a matter of grave concern, as this accounts for nearly 25% of the total schools in Ladakh. Looking ahead, the situation may worsen, as more than 250 additional schools are likely to face closure soon, with their student enrollment already falling below 10.
The local hill councils and the administration have failed to effectively utilize available resources and to engage with local communities about the facilities offered in government schools. The community itself must now come forward to safeguard these schools before it is too late. If this trend continues, it will not be surprising to witness serious disturbances in Ladakh’s social fabric in the near future.Those with financial means are increasingly sending their children to private schools within Ladakh or even outside the region, while daily wage earners are left with no choice but to depend on struggling government schools. This growing divide risks creating a class-based hierarchy in Ladakh, something that has never been part of its culture. If left unchecked, such inequalities could gradually reshape the social structure, leaving the less privileged more vulnerable and marginalized within their own communities.
Bashir Ahmad is the research fellow at University of Delhi
Bashirhmd369@gmail.com
