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Key Points

Union Minister Pradhan revealed an 87 lakh decline in government school enrolments nationwide. He attributed this to upgraded data collection methods under NEP 2020 rather than actual dropouts. States like Delhi and Karnataka saw significant decreases, prompting questions in Lok Sabha. The government highlighted ₹34,458 crore allocated under Samagra Shiksha to address education challenges.

Key Points: Govt School Enrolment Drops 87 Lakh as Pradhan Cites Data Shift

  • Delhi saw 2 lakh fewer students in govt schools
  • Karnataka enrolment fell by 3.4 lakh
  • New UDISE+ tracks individual student data
  • Samagra Shiksha allocated ₹34,458 crore for 2024-25
3 min read

Enrolment in govt schools dipped by 87.14 lakh in 2023-24: Union Education Minister

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attributes 87 lakh enrolment dip to revamped UDISE+ tracking system while detailing state-wise declines.

"It makes comparison of data from previous years statistically different/inchoate - Dharmendra Pradhan"

New Delhi, July 21

Enrolment in government schools across the country in 2023-24 dipped by 87.14 lakh as compared to the previous academic year, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The Minister added that there was no need to read too much into the drop in figures as there has been a complete change in the manner of collection of data from 2022-23, making comparison of data from previous years ‘statistically different/inchoate’.

Replying to a question from MPs Sougata Ray and Kishori Lal regarding ‘Drop In enrolment in government schools,’ Pradhan also highlighted the schemes initiated to reduce the dropout rate. The Minister said financial assistance provided to States/UTs for the year 2024-25, central release under Samagra Shiksha stood at Rs 34,45,820.90 lakh.

Pradhan claimed that it may not be justified to compare dropout rate data from previous years, as there has been a complete change in the manner of collection of data from 2022-23 onwards, from gross enrolment data to individual student data. “It makes comparison of data from previous years statistically different/inchoate,” said the Minister in his reply, adding that based on the recommendations of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), with effect from 2022-23 the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) system has been revitalised, to capture individual student-wise data and created student’s registry.

He said the UDISE+ system, which records data on indicators of school education provided by all the States and Union Territories, has been developed by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education.

The data presented by the Minister indicated that in the National Capital Delhi, the enrolment in government schools in 2023-24 stood at 25,71,404 as compared to 27,76,216 in 2022-23 – a drop of over 2.04 lakh. In Karnataka, the enrolment in government schools in 2023-24 stood at 49,85,661 as compared to 53,27,221 in 2022-23 – a drop of over 3.41 lakh. In Kerala, the enrolment in government schools in 2023-24 stood at 18,01,570 as compared to 18,54,934 in 2022-23 – a fall of 53,364.

In Punjab, the drop in enrolment in government schools in the 2023-24 academic year as compared to the previous year was 78,955; in Tamil Nadu, it was 2.01 lakh; in Maharashtra, it was 1.55 lakh; and in Himachal Pradesh, it was 40,213.

While highlighting steps taken to check the dropout rate, Pradhan said, “Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution, and the majority of the schools are under the domain of respective state and UT governments. Central government assists States and UTs through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha and Mid Day Meal provided from Balvatika to class 8 under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna.”

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
As a parent, I shifted my child to a private school because government schools in our area lack basic facilities. The Mid Day Meal scheme is good, but we need better teachers and digital classrooms to compete with private institutions.
A
Aman W
The data change explanation makes sense. Earlier numbers were estimates, now we're tracking actual students. This transparency is good for long-term planning. Kudos to NEP 2020 reforms! 🙌
P
Priyanka N
In rural areas, many parents are sending kids to private English medium schools even if they can barely afford it. Government schools need to upgrade their English teaching methods to stop this exodus.
K
Karthik V
The ₹34,000+ crore allocation is huge money! But is it reaching the schools properly? We need better monitoring systems to ensure funds are used effectively at ground level. Corruption is eating into education budgets.
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Nisha Z
My sister teaches in a Delhi govt school. She says enrollment dropped after COVID as many migrant families didn't return. The govt should conduct proper surveys before jumping to conclusions about quality of education.

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