Economic Survey 2024-25: School dropout rates show steady decline; HEIs increase by 13.8%

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has tabled the Economic Survey 2024-25 in the Parliament today highlighting education and human capital development as key factors of India's economic and social progress. The Survey highlights the role of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in shaping an inclusive education system that supports the nation’s development objectives.

According to the Survey, India’s school education system caters to approximately 24.8 crore students across 14.72 lakh schools, supported by a workforce of 98 lakh teachers.

100% gross enrolment ratio in education by 2030

One of the key goals outlined in the Survey is achieving a 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in education by 2030. Currently, GER is near universal at the primary level (93%), with efforts underway to address gaps at the secondary (77.4%) and higher secondary (56.2%) levels.

Government schools account for 69% of the schools, enrolling 50% of students and employing 51% of teachers, while private schools contribute 22.5% of the schools, enrolling 32.6% of students and employing 38% of teachers.

School dropout rates decline

Dropout rates across various levels of schooling have also seen a steady decline, with primary dropout rates at 1.9%, upper primary at 5.2%, and secondary at 14.1%.

Improvements in basic facilities, including sanitation, and information and communication technologies (ICT) reflect a positive trend in school infrastructure development. As per UDISE+ 2023-24 Report, the percentage of schools having computers increased from 38.5% in 2019-20 to 57.2% in 2023-2024. Likewise, the percentage of schools having internet facility increased from 22.3% in 2019-20 to 53.9% in 2023-2024.

Total HEIs increased by 13.8%

As per the Survey, India's higher education system ranks among the largest globally, with 4.33 crore students enrolled in 2021-22, a 26.5 % increase from 3.42 crore in 2014-15. The GER for the 18–23 age group also increased from 23.7 % to 28.4 % during this same period (2014-15 to 2021-22). To achieve the government’s goal of increasing GER to 50 per cent by 2035 in higher education, there is a need to double the educational network and infrastructure.

The Survey also highlights that over the years, there has been a significant transformation in higher education ecosystem. Total Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) increased by 13.8% from 51,534 in 2014- 15 to 58,643 in 2022-23, the Survey added.