India’s school education network has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, with 94,000 government schools ceasing operations between 2014-15 and 2024-25, according to a recent NITI Aayog report. The study points to changing enrolment patterns, school consolidation measures and demographic shifts that have reshaped the country’s education landscape.
The report, School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement, states that the number of government schools declined from 11.07 lakh to 10.13 lakh during the period. Government-aided institutions also witnessed a marginal fall, dropping from 83,000 to 79,000, while the number of private schools increased from 2.88 lakh to 3.39 lakh, reflecting a gradual shift in the composition of India’s school system.
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The contraction in the government school network was accompanied by a noticeable decline in student enrolment nationwide. Total enrolment dropped from 26.95 crore in 2014-15 to 24.69 crore in 2024-25, indicating that 2.26 crore fewer students are enrolled in schools compared to a decade ago. According to the report, this trend has been driven by a combination of declining birth rates, a smaller school-age population, school rationalisation initiatives and continued challenges in retaining students through the higher grades.
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