The Union government has approved Rs 1,763.7 crore for Telangana under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for 2026-27, with the Centre contributing Rs 960.4 crore and the state government providing Rs 640.26 crore as its matching share.
The funding was cleared by the Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Ministry of Education following a review of the implementation of Samagra Shiksha in Telangana.
According to the PAB review, Telangana witnessed an improvement in both Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) across different stages of school education during 2024-25 compared with the previous academic year.
Despite the improvement, the board highlighted a significant gap between government and private schools in terms of student enrolment.
Also Read: Telangana Universities to launch new-age courses
Government schools make up nearly 69.7% of the total schools in Telangana, with 30,057 institutions. Private schools account for 28.9%, or 12,474 schools. However, government schools have only 35.3% of the total student enrolment, covering around 26.29 lakh students. In comparison, private schools account for 63.7% of enrolment, with approximately 47.52 lakh students.
A similar difference was observed in teacher distribution. Government schools have around 43.3% of the state’s teachers, or 1,54,956 personnel, while private schools employ nearly 55.8%, amounting to 1,99,734 teachers.
The PAB has asked Telangana to undertake a detailed root-cause analysis to understand the factors driving students towards private schools and implement corrective measures to increase enrolment in government institutions.
The review also pointed to changes in the number of single-teacher schools. The overall number declined from 5,720 in 2023-24 to 4,739 in 2024-25.
However, the number of government upper-primary schools operating with a single teacher increased from 80 to 93 during the same period.
The PAB recommended rationalising teacher deployment and ensuring adequate staffing in schools so that students have access to effective curricular and academic activities.
Also Read: IIT Bombay Professor Karthikeyan Lanka wins NASI Young Scientist Award 2026
Telangana recorded zero dropout rates at the preparatory and middle stages of school education, performing better than the corresponding national averages.
However, the state’s secondary-stage dropout rate increased from 8% in 2023-24 to 10.5% in 2024-25. This is higher than the national average of 8.2%, raising concerns over student retention at the secondary level.
The PAB has highlighted the need for focused interventions to address the factors contributing to students leaving school during the secondary stage.
The review also identified a shortage of academic personnel across Telangana’s 14 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs).
Also Read: Telangana launches free government exam coaching
Against 286 sanctioned academic posts, only 135 are currently filled, leaving 151 positions vacant. The PAB has advised the state to prioritise filling these vacancies to strengthen teacher training, academic support and the overall effectiveness of DIET institutions.
The approval of the Samagra Shiksha funding is expected to support Telangana’s school education system while the state works to address gaps in enrolment, teacher availability, student retention and teacher education infrastructure.
___________________________________________________________________
Stay informed with the latest developments shaping the future of education. Follow Elets Digital Learning for regular updates, insights, and policy news.
Also, join the conversation at the Elets World Education Summit 2026 this October in New Delhi, where education leaders, policymakers, and innovators will come together to discuss the future of learning.
