The economic survey stresses the need for holistic education to improve the employability of the workforce in the future. It also emphasises the need for online and offline education models to complement each other, an essential requirement that emerged after the pandemic.
The survey indicates that India’s school education system caters to 248 million students in 1.47 million schools, supported by 9.8 million teachers. Government schools constitute 69% of these institutions, educating 50% of the student population with 51% of the teaching staff. Conversely, private schools represent 22.5% of schools, teaching 32.6% of students with 38% of teachers.
The National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 targets achieving a 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), by 2030. Currently, GER is almost universal at the primary level, at 93%. Initiatives are being taken to close the enrollment gaps at the secondary level (77.4%) and higher secondary level (56.2%), moving the country towards its goal of inclusive and equitable education for all. GER is the percentage of students enrolled in one level of education compared to the population of that age group.
Declining dropout rates
Moreover, recent years have seen a steady decline in school dropout rates, now at 1.9% for primary, 5.2% for upper primary, and 14.1% for secondary education. Despite these improvements, challenges remain in student retention, with rates at 85.4% for primary education (classes I to V), 78% for elementary (classes I to VIII), 63.8% for secondary (classes I to X), and 45.6% for higher secondary (classes I to XII)
“The dropout rates among school children have reduced in schools, but they are still high at 1.9% for primary schools, 5.2% for upper primary schools and 14.1 % at secondary schools,” said Kamlesh Vyas, partner at consulting firm Deloitte India.
“All these students need to be put in training programmes or back into schools if we have to leverage our demographic dividend. What the data doesn’t tell us is the literacy and numeracy levels of the children who are not dropping out. That has to be a focus area as well,” he added.
The success of school education hinges not just on the student’s academic achievements but also on enhancing their social and emotional learning (SEL). “A good education enhances a child’s mental and physical health, academic performance, and life skills,” the survey states. It also draws attention to mental health issues in the workforce.
Although online learning and digital technology have broadened educational access, the time-honoured approach of classroom-based education still retains significant value. The Tamil Nadu government has introduced a cost-effective remedial programme, bringing education directly to students’ doorsteps. This initiative aims to bridge the educational disparities of the pandemic, promote equity and enhance learning outcomes.