Archive · 19 Sep 2026
Sandipani School Mergers Reveal Uneven Teacher Staffing In Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is combining some small government schools with larger Sandipani schools.
When this happens, the students and teachers move to the larger campuses.
Some campuses may then have more teachers than they need.
Other schools still do not have enough teachers.
Officials will find teachers who are not needed at one school and move them to schools with vacancies.
Districts must finish a counselling process for these teachers by September 25.
The state has about 1.20 lakh schools, 1.52 crore students and 7.29 lakh teachers.
Its average is one teacher for every 21 students, but schools can have very different staffing levels.
There are also 2,269 schools with only one teacher serving more than 62,000 students.
Madhya Pradesh is merging smaller government schools with larger Sandipani campuses.
The mergers have brought students and teachers together, creating staffing surpluses at some schools.
Officials will identify excess teachers and transfer them to schools with vacancies.
Districts must complete the teacher counselling process by September 25.
UDISE+ 2025-26 data shows 2,269 single-teacher schools serving more than 62,000 students.
- Who
- The Madhya Pradesh school education department, district officials, teachers and students affected by the mergers.
- What
- Smaller government schools are being merged with Sandipani campuses, exposing surplus teachers in some schools and vacancies in others.
- When
- The issue is highlighted using UDISE+ 2025-26 data; teacher counselling must be completed by September 25.
- Where
- Madhya Pradesh, including schools operating on Sandipani campuses.
- Why
- The department is restructuring schools and plans to redistribute teachers to address uneven staffing.
- Schools in Madhya Pradesh
- 1.20 lakh, according to UDISE+ 2025-26
- Students
- 1.52 crore
- Teachers
- 7.29 lakh
- Overall pupil-teacher ratio
- 21:1
- Single-teacher schools
- 2,269 schools
- Students affected by single-teacher schools
- More than 62,000
- Counselling deadline
- September 25