More than 20,000 schools closed in India during 2020-21; number of teachers declined by 1.95%: Ministry of Education

The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report on school education in India for 2021-22 also pointed out that only 44.85% schools had computer facilities while nearly 34% had internet connection.

“More than 20,000 schools were closed across the country during 2020-21 while the number of teachers also declined by 1.95% in comparison to the previous year,” according to a new report by the Ministry of Education.

The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report on school education in India for 2021-22 also pointed out that only 44.85% schools had computer facilities while nearly 34% had internet connection.

"Total number of schools in 2021-22 stood at 14.89 lakh as compared to 15.09 lakh in 2020-21. The decline in total number of schools is mainly due to closure of schools under private- and other management," said the report launched on November 3.

“While only 27% schools have special toilets for children with special needs (CSWN), more than 49% of them have ramps with handrails,” it said.

Detailing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on enrolment, the report said, "Although the impact of COVID-19 is cross-cutting, this is particularly noticed in the enrollment of young and vulnerable children such as pre-primary classes. "This decline may be attributed to postponement of admissions due to COVID-19".

“In 2021-22, enrollment of students in school education from primary to higher secondary was around 25.57 crore. This is higher by 19.36 lakh as compared to the enrollment of students in 2020-21,” the report said.