Jammu, Mar 28: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday said that as many as 3,192 schools across the Union territory have reported less than 10 or zero enrolment since 2022, with 2,518 teachers posted in them.
In a written reply to a question by BJP MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania in the Assembly, Education Minister Sakina Itoo shared details of such schools and the staff strength compiled division-wise.
According to the data, 1,494 schools with 1,934 teachers reported less than 10 or zero enrolment since 2022 in the Jammu division, while the Kashmir division reported 1,698 such schools with 584 teachers.
In the Jammu division, Kathua district accounted for the highest number of such schools at 508, followed by Udhampur (188), Rajouri (174), Reasi (161) and Jammu (130).
The other districts were Doda (111), Kishtwar (89), Samba (60), Ramban (56) and Poonch (17), according to the reply.
In the Kashmir division, Baramulla topped the list with 396 schools, followed by Shopian (270), Kupwara (228), Anantnag (168), Bandipora (156), Ganderbal (138), Pulwama (102), Budgam (96), Srinagar (90) and Kulgam (54), the data showed.
On financial implications, the minister detailed the annual expenditure on salaries and operations for the low-enrolment schools.
“More than 1,700 (1,732) government schools have been closed or merged across the Union territory since 2019, while the government incurred an expenditure of over Rs 13,816 crore on salaries,” the minister said.
According to the data, of these 1,732 schools, 1,427 were in the Jammu division and 305 in the Kashmir division.
In the Jammu division, the highest number of school closures or mergers was reported in Jammu district at 517, followed by Kathua (238), Samba (125), Doda (113), Poonch (103), Rajouri (98), Udhampur (81), Kishtwar (72), Reasi (61) and Ramban (19).
In the Kashmir division, Baramulla topped the chart at 66, followed by Ganderbal (46), Kupwara (44), Shopian (34), Anantnag (32), Bandipora (27), Pulwama (17), Budgam (16), Srinagar (14), and Kulgam (9).
The data showed the government spent Rs 13,816.66 crore on salaries during this period. Out of this, Rs 13,770 crore was incurred in the Jammu division and Rs 46.66 crore in the Kashmir division.
Among the districts, Udhampur accounted for the highest salary expenditure at Rs 2,600 crore, followed by Rajouri (Rs 1,925.70 crore), Kathua (Rs 1,830 crore), and Doda (Rs 1,680.77 crore) in the Jammu division, while Baramulla recorded the highest expenditure at Rs 9.54 crore in the Kashmir division. (PTI)
