According to Union government data, there were 47 zero-enrollment schools in Kerala in the 2024–25 academic year. There were 19 teachers in these schools.
However, none of them are government schools, Samagra Shiksha Kerala clarifies. These 47 schools include both aided and non-aided schools.
Some aided schools have seen their enrollments drop to zero in the past few years. However, they did not report that they were closing. Their students moved to other schools nearby. In theory, however, these schools exist, officials say.
According to data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) for 2024-25, as many as 1.7% of schools in Kerala have less than 10 students.
The data also shows that 3.1% of schools have between 11 and 20 students, 3.8% between 21 and 30 students, 4.5% between 31 and 40 and 4.4% between 41 and 50 students.
104 schools in 2023-24
According to UDISE+ data, there were 104 schools with zero enrollment in the 2023–24 academic session.
However, according to General Education Minister V Sivankutty’s reply to an Opposition question in the recently concluded Assembly session, the government is collecting details of government and aided schools that have been closed in the state since 2021. Details of government and aided schools that have less than 50 students are also being collected.
According to the Economic Review 2024, the total number of schools with an average strength of less than 25 students was 1,197 in 2024-25. Of these, 452 were in the government sector and 745 were in the aided sector. There were 34 government lower primary schools with an average enrollment of less than 10, with the number of schools in this category being 160 in the aided sector.
Highest in Pathanamthitta
The highest number of schools with fewer students was in Pathanamthitta (216), followed by Kottayam (168) and Kannur (148).
The Economic Review adds that among the state schools with fewer students, the majority (91.4%) were lower primary schools. Also in the supported sector, 86.6% of schools with fewer students were lower primary schools.
In 2023-24, the total number of schools with an average enrollment of less than 25 students was 961. Of these, 379 were in the government sector and 582 were aided institutions, according to the Economic Review.
Nationwide numbers
Almost 8,000 schools across the country saw zero enrollment for the 2024-25 session. West Bengal accounted for 3,812 of these schools, followed by Telangana with 2,245 schools. However, 15 states and union territories have zero enrollment schools, according to UDISE+ data.
Published – 27 Oct 2025 20:55 IST
