Drop in Enrolment:
- Total student enrolment dropped by over 1 crore from 26.3 crore (2018–19) to 24.8 crore in 2023-24.
- Decline attributed to changes in data collection methodology and elimination of duplicate enrolments.
Relevance : GS 2(Education )
Change in Methodology:
- From 2022-23, the Ministry of Education (MoE) started collecting individual student data, including Aadhaar numbers.
- Previous attempts at this data collection in 2016-17 were discontinued until restarted in 2022-23.
- New methodology suggests previous enrolment figures were overestimated by 5-6%.
Reasons for Decline:
- The sharp drop in enrolment likely due to correction of inflated enrolment numbers, including duplicate records and inflated figures.
- MoE has not provided clear explanations for the significant dip in enrolment or the reduction in government schools.
Decline in Schools:
- The number of schools covered under UDISE+ decreased by 87,012 from 2017-18 (15,58,903 schools) to 2023-24 (14,71,891 schools).
- Most of the reduction was in government-run schools, with a notable decrease in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Impact of School Closures:
- The decline in schools, especially in rural areas, leads to difficulties for students to seek re-admission, contributing to higher dropout rates.
- Distance and inconvenience during the re-admission process are key reasons why students drop out when schools close or merge.
Effect on Funding:
- The drop in enrolment raises questions about the effective utilization of funding, particularly under schemes like Samagra Shiksha, with ₹32,515 crore allocated in 2022-23 despite the enrolment decline.
State-Specific Trends:
- Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh faced the largest reductions in schools, with Jammu and Kashmir losing 4,509 schools.
- Such declines may lead to accessibility issues and higher dropout rates as students are unable to attend distant schools.
UDISe+ Data Caution:
- MoE has warned that the UDISE+ data for 2022-23 and 2023-24 is not directly comparable to previous years due to the changes in data collection methodology, yet key educational indicators like dropout and retention rates are still considered comparable.
