GUWAHATI : Assam continues to grapple with significant staffing and infrastructure gaps in its school education system, with 2,670 primary schools functioning with a single teacher and more than 13,000 schools operating without permanent headmasters, the Assembly was informed on Thursday.

Replying to a question raised by MLA Akhil Gogoi, Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu said that while no government primary school in 2025-26 is functioning without a teacher, 2,670 schools across the State continue to operate with only one teacher handling all classes.

On teacher deployment, the minister informed the House that 4,041 five-class primary schools have five or more teachers, excluding headmasters. In addition, 1,733 six-class schools have six or more teachers, indicating that staffing levels vary widely across institutions.

The data placed before the Assembly also highlighted considerable infrastructure deficiencies. Only 5,083 five-class schools have five or more classrooms, suggesting that a substantial number lack adequate teaching space. Among six-class schools, just 1,530 have the required number of classrooms, while as many as 21,839 schools do not meet the prescribed classroom norms, underscoring space constraints in many institutions.

Leadership vacancies remain a pressing concern. The House was informed that 13,614 primary schools and 3,402 upper primary schools are currently functioning without permanent headmasters.

Subject teacher shortages persist across higher levels as well. Upper primary schools have 4,805 vacant posts, including assistant, Hindi and science teachers. High schools account for 7,396 vacancies in science, mathematics, arts and Hindi, while higher secondary schools report 242 vacant posts in science, mathematics, English and Hindi.

In the Sixth Schedule districts, 713 posts remain vacant in high schools and 76 in higher secondary schools, further reflecting staffing challenges in autonomous areas.

The Assembly was also told that the total number of government primary, upper primary, high and higher secondary schools in Assam has declined over the years due to the State government’s policy of school mergers. According to UDISE+ data, the number of such institutions fell from 52,228 in 2016-17 to 44,300 in 2024-25.

While the government maintained that no primary school is currently without a teacher, the figures presented in the House point to continuing concerns over staffing adequacy, institutional leadership and infrastructure availability across Assam’s school education system.