Beyond Primary, India’s School Network Thins Out, Panel Flags Massive Drop-Off

A parliamentary panel has raised concern over the sharp decline in schools and student enrolment as education levels rise, warning that limited access to secondary and higher-secondary institutions could be contributing to high dropout rates.

The Committee on Estimates, in its Tenth Report for 2026-27 on affordable and quality education, said the number of schools falls substantially beyond the primary level. According to UDISE+ 2024-25, India has 10,92,671 schools across government and government-aided institutions. Of these, 9,11,032 are at the primary level, 4,12,805 at upper primary, 1,61,808 at secondary and only 90,866 at higher secondary level.

Student enrolment follows a similar pattern. Primary classes have around 6.18 crore students, compared with 4.09 crore in upper primary. The figure declines to 2.37 crore at the secondary level and further to 1.64 crore in higher secondary.

The committee said the figures point to a significant student drop-off before completion of higher secondary education. It urged the Education Ministry to work with states and Union Territories to upgrade existing schools into full higher-secondary institutions and establish more secondary and higher-secondary schools, particularly in areas where access remains difficult.

The panel also highlighted a serious infrastructure gap for children with special needs (CwSN). Of 14.71 lakh schools nationwide, only 5.23 lakh have CwSN-friendly toilets, while 8.08 lakh have ramps with handrails.

It also criticised the poor utilisation of funds. Against ₹4.82 crore allocated for 186 CwSN toilets during 2024-25, only ₹2.60 lakh was utilised, with no physical progress recorded. For new special educators at the elementary level, only ₹80.50 lakh was spent against a ₹9.62 crore allocation.

The committee called for time-bound implementation, better utilisation of funds and faster recruitment of special educators. It stressed that inclusive education requires accessible infrastructure and adequate trained personnel, in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and NEP 2020's Zero Rejection Policy.