India has witnessed a significant decline in school enrollment rates in the academic year 2023-24, particularly at the elementary level, according to government data presented in Parliament on Thursday. The figures indicate an alarming eight-percentage-point drop compared to 2021-22, raising concerns among policymakers and education experts.
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey, while responding to a query in the Lok Sabha regarding the living standards of tribal communities, highlighted that the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for tribal students at the elementary level declined from 103.4% in 2021-22 to 97.1% in 2023-24.
A similar trend was observed across all communities, where GER at the elementary level dropped from 100.13% in 2021-22 to 91.7% in 2023-24, pointing to a broader issue in the education sector.
Enrollment Rates Declining Across All Education Levels
The downward trend was also evident at the secondary and senior secondary levels. For tribal students in classes 9-10, the GER saw a slight dip from 78.1% in 2021-22 to 76.9% in 2023-24. Meanwhile, for students from all communities, it declined from 79.56% to 77.4% in the same period.
The situation was even more concerning at the senior secondary level (classes 11-12), where GER for tribal students fell from 52% in 2021-22 to 48.7% in 2023-24. Among students from all communities, GER decreased from 57.56% to 56.2%.
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Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari demanded an explanation from the government regarding the sharp decline in school enrollments. Citing data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), he criticized the Narendra Modi-led government, accusing it of neglecting the education sector and failing to secure the future of young students.
Tiwari further attributed the decline to widening economic disparity and financial mismanagement. He also pointed out infrastructure deficiencies, noting that classrooms in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam remain underutilized, while states such as Telangana, West Bengal, and Punjab struggle with overcrowding and lack of basic facilities.
With the enrollment rate dipping across all levels, concerns about accessibility, affordability, and quality of education continue to grow, making it a pressing issue for policymakers to address.
