School access improves but retention in secondary education challenging: CRY analysis of UDISE+ data

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

NEW DELHI: India's school education system continues to make steady progress in expanding access to education, strengthening school infrastructure, improving teacher availability and reducing school dropout.

However, while more children are entering and staying in school through the elementary years, the latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2025-26 report underscores that ensuring children remain in school through secondary education continues to be one of the country's most pressing educational challenges.

According to an analysis of UDISE+ 2025-26 database done by CRY – Child Rights and You, India has 14.67 lakh schools, serving 24.72 crore students with the support of 1.03 crore teachers, making it one of the largest school education systems in the world.

Government schools backbone

Government schools continue to remain the backbone of public education, accounting for 68.5percent of all schools and educating 48.1percent of all enrolled children, reaffirming their critical role in ensuring equitable access to education, particularly for children from rural, remote and socio-economically disadvantaged communities.

The report reflects encouraging improvements across several key educational indicators. National dropout rates have declined substantially over the past four years, reaching 1.8percent at the Preparatory stage, 3.6percent at the Middle stage, and 7.0percent at the Secondary stage in 2025–26.

Transition rates have also improved consistently, with 99.2percent of children successfully progressing from the Foundational to Preparatory stage, 93.8percent moving from Preparatory to Middle stage, and 88.3percent entering Secondary education.

School infrastructure too has strengthened considerably. Nationally, 95.0percent of schools have electricity, 99.5percent provide drinking water, 98.5percent have girls' toilets, and 96.9percent provide hand washing facilities.

Access to digital infrastructure has also expanded, with 69.9percent of schools equipped with computers and 67.4percent having internet connectivity, reflecting steady progress towards technology-enabled learning.

Teacher availability continues to improve as well. The national Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) remains well within the norms recommended under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 across all stages of school education, standing at 10:1 at the Foundational stage, 12:1 at the Preparatory stage, 17:1 at the Middle stage, and 21:1 at the Secondary stage.

Gross enrollment ratio, retention at secondary level challenges

While these gains reflect sustained improvements across India's education system, the report also reveals that educational continuity weakens considerably during adolescence.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) declines from 91.7percent at the Preparatory stage and 89.6percent at the Middle stage to 71.7percent at the Secondary stage, indicating that nearly three out of every ten adolescents of official secondary-school age remain outside the education system.

Likewise, although 98.5percent of children entering the Foundational stage are expected to complete that stage, only 51.9percent are expected to remain in school through Class XII, highlighting the continuing challenge of ensuring children complete secondary education.

Regional disparities

The report also highlights that the national averages often conceal wide regional disparities. States such as Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Maharashtra continue to perform well across indicators including educational participation, transition rates, retention and infrastructure. In contrast, Bihar, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh continue to record below-national-average performance across multiple educational indicators, reflecting persistent inequalities linked to geography, socio-economic conditions and access to quality education.

Digital inequality despite improvements in school infrastructure is another area that requires further attention, as revealed by the UDISE+ Report. Although nearly seven in ten schools now have computers and internet access, significant inter-state disparities persist, particularly in West Bengal, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar and Manipur, limiting equitable access to digital learning opportunities.

Similarly, while teacher availability has improved nationally, teacher deployment continues to remain uneven. States such as Jharkhand (PTR 36), West Bengal (30), Gujarat (29), Maharashtra (29) and Bihar (28) report significantly higher pupil-teacher ratios than the national average of 24, indicating greater classroom pressures in these states despite overall national progress.

Gender parity presents a relatively encouraging picture nationally. Girls account for 48.4percent of total enrolment, compared with 51.6percent for boys, and generally record slightly higher Net Enrolment Rates across several educational stages. However, state-level analysis continues to reveal notable disparities in educational participation and dropout, particularly during secondary education, suggesting that gender-specific barriers remain unevenly distributed across the country.

Commenting on the overall trends of the latest Report, Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY said, “The UDISE+ 2025–26 findings reinforce that India has made significant progress in expanding access to education and improving school infrastructure over the past few years. However, the report also reminds us that enrollment alone cannot be our measure of success. The real test lies in ensuring that every child – especially adolescents – remains in school and completes secondary education. Persistent regional disparities, gaps in foundational learning, barriers faced by children with disabilities, and unequal access to quality secondary education continue to prevent many children from realising their full potential.”

“As India advances towards the targets set by the Sustainable Development Goal 4, greater policy attention and investments must now focus on educational continuity, equity and school completion, so that no child is left behind," Marwaha added.

 

Highlights:

· India's school education system comprises 14.67 lakh schools, serving 24.72 crore students with the support of 1.03 crore teachers, catering to 48.1 percent of all enrolled children

· School dropout rates declined to 1.8 percent at the Preparatory stage, 3.6 percent at the Middle stage, and 7.0percent at the Secondary stage, reflecting improved retention across the school cycle.

· Transition rates improve, with 99.2percent of children progressing from the Foundational to Preparatory stage, 93.8percent from Preparatory to Middle, and 88.3percent entering Secondary education.

· Secondary education remains the biggest challenge, with the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) dropping from 91.7 percent at the Preparatory stage to 89.6 percent at the Middle stage, and further to 71.7 percent at the Secondary level, and only 51.9percent of children entering Class I are expected to remain in school through Class XII.

· Foundational education continues to require greater attention, with the Gross Enrolment Ratio at 42.8percent and the Net Enrolment Rate at 39.6percent, indicating continuing gaps in age-appropriate Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).