The number of government schools in Telangana has reached an eight-year high with 30,057 schools functioning, according to the latest data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus. UDISE is a national data monitoring program under the Ministry of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India. The figures show a 2% increase from 29,427 schools in 2016-17. During the same period, the number of schools in the private sector decreased slightly from 12,573 to 12,474, a decrease of .7%.
A government school was recently inaugurated in the Irram Manzil area after being renovated at a cost of ₹7.7 crore, showing the possibilities of how schools can be. Nearly 81.21% schools in Telangana had computers in classrooms against the national average of 64.7%. However, schools lagged behind with 63.28% having internet access compared to the national average of 63.5%, indicating a digital divide that persists despite the increased use of mobile devices across all parts of society.
The state government has increased the number of schools and is also employing more teachers with 1,54,956 in 2024–25 as against 1,33,124 in 2016–17, a 16% increase. This is surpassed by the private sector, where the number of teachers employed has increased by 90% from 1,04,853 to 1,99,734.
The state saw a 13% increase in student enrollment from 65,73,100 to 74,57,851. However, most students gravitated towards private schools. Enrollment in private schools increased from 35,13,147 in 2016–17 to 47,52,424 in 2024–25, a jump of 35%. In contrast, government schools saw an 8.9% decline in enrollment from 28,88,637 in 2016-17 to 26,29,488 in 2024-25. The decline is steeper when enrollment in the Covid years is taken into account. In 2021–22, the number of students in government schools reached an all-time high of 33,03,699 as the Covid-19 pandemic caused an economic downturn and private sector budget schools were closed because parents could not pay school fees.
On a positive note, Telangana had a 100% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at the primary level, reflecting near-universal access to primary education. The GER was 92.6% at the upper primary level, 75.3% at the secondary level and 49% at the upper secondary level.
Telangana also has a better pupil teacher ratio (PTR) with 20 students per teacher at the primary level, 17 at the upper primary level and 15 at the secondary level, ensuring manageable class sizes and better attention to students.
Published – 26 Oct 2025 19:55 IST
