The government’s public policy thinktank said discontinuity across school stages, the prevalence of small and single-teacher schools, and infrastructure gaps continue to affect access and quality, according to its report titled School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement. The report also noted gaps in equity and inclusion, including issues related to socio-economically disadvantaged groups and children with special needs.
“The Indian school system shows significant fragmentation across levels, resulting in hampering the continuity of schooling and the efficiency of educational delivery. These challenges are not isolated but are embedded in the design and distribution of schools across the country and lead to persistent gaps in access, retention, and learning,” said the report.
The report highlighted attrition of students as they go through successive stages of schooling as a key issue. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) stands at 90.9 per cent at the primary level but falls to 78.7 per cent at the secondary level and even further to 58.4 per cent at the higher secondary level.
“This indicates that nearly four out of every ten children who enter the school system are unable to continue through to higher secondary education,” the report added.
According to the report, India has 14.71 lakh schools serving 24.69 crore students and more than one crore teachers. Government schools account for 68.1 per cent of all schools and enrol 49.2 per cent of students, while private schools account for 23.1 per cent of schools and 38.8 per cent of enrolment, according to data in the report.
The report said foundational literacy and numeracy indicators have improved after the pandemic, but gaps remain in conceptual understanding and application-based learning, particularly among rural, tribal and economically disadvantaged students. It also flagged uneven digital access in smaller and remote schools and said schools for children with special needs require additional inclusive infrastructure and support systems.
It noted that over one-third of Indian schools have less than 50 students, with around 5.1 per cent having enrolment below 10, and another 8 per cent in the 11-20 range.
“The small size of these schools has made their operation economically inefficient and administratively challenging, particularly with respect to teacher deployment and the provision of essential physical infrastructure,” it added.
The report said gaps in sanitation infrastructure persist, with nearly 98,600 schools lacking functional girls’ toilets and over 61,500 schools having no usable toilets, affecting attendance and retention among adolescent girls.
It also added that while the share of schools with libraries has risen to 89.5 per cent in 2024-25, many continue to lack trained staff, updated books and integration with classroom learning, limiting their role as active learning spaces.
NITI recommended structural reforms including composite school complexes and evidence-based school rationalisation to improve continuity across school stages and resource utilisation. The report also proposed strengthening School Management Committees (SMC) and institutionalising bottom-up planning mechanisms.
The Centre released updated guidelines for SMCs earlier this week with a focus on aligning the existing provisions with those under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The report called for reforms in teacher deployment, workforce planning, professional development and school leadership systems. It also recommended competency-based assessments, level-based instruction, expansion of foundational literacy and numeracy efforts beyond Grade 3, and integration of vocational education into schooling.
In addition, the report proposed strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education, expanding digital and broadcast-based learning, and integrating artificial intelligence into pedagogy and system planning.
Key Concerns
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Gross enrollment ratio falls from 90.9% at primary to 58.4% at higher secondary level
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Over one-third of schools have fewer than 50 students
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Gaps in inclusion for disadvantaged groups, children with special needs, says report
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