80% decline in the number of single-teacher schools across the state
Rationalisation under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai ushers in a new era for school education
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh has achieved a landmark milestone in the field of education, marking a transformative shift under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai. For the first time, not a single school in the state — from the primary to the higher secondary level — is left without a teacher. Furthermore, the number of single-teacher schools has declined by an impressive 80 percent.
This transformation has been made possible through an extensive rationalisation exercise aimed at the equitable distribution of educational resources, logical placement of teachers, and alignment with the Right to Education Act and the spirit of the National Education Policy. The core objective has been to ensure that each school is staffed with the required number of teachers.
Prior to this rationalisation initiative, the state had 453 teacherless schools and 5,936 schools with only one teacher — a situation particularly severe in remote and sensitive districts like Sukma, Narayanpur, and Bijapur.
To resolve this critical gap, the state government launched a three-tier counselling process at the district, divisional, and state levels for the redeployment of teachers. As a result, Chhattisgarh today boasts of a school education system wherein no school is without a teacher, and every high school has the minimum required faculty in place.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, commending this rationalisation initiative, said, “We are determined to ensure that no child in Chhattisgarh has to study without a teacher. Through this initiative, we are not only adhering to the Right to Education Act but also laying the foundation for a stronger and more equitable education system. This is not merely a transfer exercise — it is the restoration of justice in education.”
He further affirmed that addressing the situation of single-teacher schools remains a top priority of his government, and in the coming months, additional teachers will be appointed through promotions and fresh recruitments.
The state government is now focusing on 1,207 primary schools that still operate with only one teacher. A comprehensive strategy has been drawn up to resolve this by prioritising promotions of head teachers, deployment of additional staff, and expediting the recruitment process.
Among the single-teacher primary schools still present in the state, the highest numbers are found in Bastar (283), Bijapur (250), Sukma (186), Mohla-Manpur-Chowki (124), Korba (89), Balrampur (94), Narayanpur (64), Dhamtari (37), Surajpur (47), Dantewada (11), and just 22 schools in other districts. Teachers will soon be appointed in these schools based on specific requirements.
This effort by the Chhattisgarh government is a significant step towards making education more inclusive and ensuring equal learning opportunities for every child. The entire process has demonstrated that rationalisation is not merely an administrative reform but a social justice-driven transformation, placing every child, every village, and every school at its heart.
(This is a press release by the Chhattisgarh government.)