NEW DELHI, Aug 13: A parliamentary panel has raised serious concern over the sharp decline in the number of schools and students as education levels rise, noting that nearly 73 per cent of students drop out before completing higher secondary education.
The observation was made in the Tenth Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) of the Committee on Estimates (2026-27) on budget and policy aspects of providing affordable and quality education in the country, including a review of the Central Board of Secondary Education. The report was presented in the Lok Sabha.
The committee noted a substantial gap in the availability of schools at the secondary and higher secondary levels compared with primary and upper primary levels.
According to UDISE 2024-25 data cited by the panel, the country has 10,92,671 schools, including government and government-aided institutions. Of these, 9,11,032 are at the primary level, 4,12,805 at the upper primary level, 1,61,808 at the secondary level and only 90,866 at the higher secondary level.
A similar decline was observed in student enrolment. While 6.18 crore students are enrolled in primary classes and 4.09 crore in upper primary classes, the number falls to 2.37 crore at the secondary level and 1.64 crore at the higher secondary level.
The committee expressed concern over the “drastic decline” in the number of schools and students as education levels increase.
It said that out of more than 10 lakh government schools, the vast majority are at the primary level, resulting in a significant drop in student numbers before completion of higher secondary education.
The panel urged the Ministry of Education to prioritise upgrading existing primary and secondary schools into full-fledged higher secondary institutions to ensure that students from different communities have access to higher levels of education within a reasonable distance.
It also called for an increase in the number of secondary and higher secondary schools, while urging State Governments and Union Territories to take necessary measures to improve enrolment and reduce dropouts.
The committee also highlighted major deficiencies in infrastructure for Children with Special Needs (CwSN), noting that more than half of schools lack adequate disability-friendly facilities.
According to UDISE+ 2024-25 data, out of 14,71,437 schools across the country, only 5,23,143 have CwSN-friendly toilets, while 8,08,466 have ramps with handrails.
The panel also pointed to poor utilisation of funds allocated for inclusive education infrastructure. Against a budget of ₹482 lakh during 2024-25 for constructing 186 CwSN toilets, only ₹2.60 lakh was utilised, with no progress recorded against the physical targets.
Similarly, only ₹80.50 lakh was utilised against a budgetary allocation of ₹962 lakh for new special educators at the elementary level.
The committee said the limited progress in recruiting and retaining special educators was a matter of concern and called for an assessment of the requirement of special educators across the country.
It recommended that the Ministry ensure time-bound implementation of CwSN-related projects, provide safe and accessible school infrastructure for Divyang students and complete the recruitment of special educators at the earliest.
The panel also noted that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 provides free education up to the age of 18 years for children with benchmark disabilities, while the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes a zero-rejection approach to ensure that no child is denied education because of disability.
