The learning curve: Interventions must move beyond expanding school access

UDISE+ shows gains in enrolment and retention, but weak learning outcomes and the shift from government to private schools underline the need to prioritise education quality

The latest report titled “Unified District Information System for Education Plus”, or UDISE+ 2025-26, highlights India’s considerable progress in expanding access to school education. It involves improvement in enrolment, retention, teacher availability and infrastructure. The secondary dropout rate has declined sharply, falling from 13.8 per cent in 2022-23 to 7 per cent in 2025-26. The teacher numbers have surged by 8.3 per cent, and pupil-teacher ratios have improved across school levels. These are important achievements. However, improved access and better staffing must now translate into stronger learning outcomes.

 

The most striking trend is the changing pattern of school enrolment. While total student enrolment from the foundational to secondary level stood at 247.2 million in 2025-26, government schools lost nearly 8.6 million students between 2023-24 and 2025-26. During the same period, recognised private unaided schools added more than 8.8 million students. The shift clearly reflects changing parental preferences and declining confidence in government schools. This is a matter of concern because government schools remain central to ensuring equitable access. For millions of children from economically weaker households, they are the primary pathway to social mobility. At the same time, the private sector is not a guaranteed solution. Previous learning assessments have shown that in many private schools learning outcomes are not particularly better than in government schools. The larger challenge is, therefore, not merely whether children are in government or private schools, but whether schools are equipping them with foundational skills.

 

A NITI Aayog report released earlier this year highlighted the persistence of learning gaps despite recent improvements. Only 27 per cent of Grade 3 students are able to read a Grade 2-level text, while just 31 per cent of Grade 5 students can solve a basic division problem. The report also highlighted a decline in reading proficiency among Grade 8 students over the past decade, with deterioration particularly pronounced in government schools. Thus, millions of children progress through grades without acquiring basic reading and numeracy skills. Learning gaps in foundational years often accumulate, making it harder for students to acquire higher-order skills later.

 

Teaching quality also remains a critical constraint. Increasing the number of teachers is necessary, but not sufficient. Competency, classroom practices, and continuous professional development matter equally. The presence of more teachers will have a limited impact if teaching remains focused on rote learning rather than conceptual understanding. Reducing the time teachers spend on non-academic duties and strengthening subject knowledge must, therefore, become priorities. There are also concerns about access and inclusion. The closure of more than 8,000 government schools in a year and declining enrolment among students belonging to Scheduled Castes require careful examination. School consolidation may improve efficiency in some cases, but it must not come at the cost of accessibility. India has successfully moved beyond the initial phase, where the priority was expanding school access and infrastructure. The next phase must focus on improving the quality of education. As the country seeks to harness its demographic dividend, the measure of success cannot simply be the number of children attending school, but whether they leave school with the skills needed to participate productively in the economy.