After Arunachal Pradeshs 18.2%, Goa has the second-highest Percentage of single teacher schools in the country, at 16%. As per Unescos State of the Education report for India 2021, Goa has 239 single-teacher schools. The number of such schools in the state are up from 230 last year, which was pointed out by data of the Union education ministry.
To blame for this scenario in Goa is an age-old norm followed by the state directorate of education (DoE), which makes primary schools eligible for a second teacher only if they have an enrolment of 24 or more students.
This has taken a toll on government primary schools in the state, which are grappling with low student numbers. Government primary schools are pushed into a vicious cycle as having a single teacher means fewer children are motivated to join the school, and fewer children means not being eligible for a second teacher, as per state norms.
Of the 1,486 schools in Goa, 239 are single-teacher schools, states the Unesco report. At one point, the number of such schools in Goa stood at nearly 350.