Findings of the National Statistics Office’s Comprehensive Modular Survey on Education

The survey reveals concerning trends in the Indian government-schooling system, highlighting its failures and the impact on demographic trends.

Decline in Government School Attendance

• Sharp decline in higher-secondary student attendance in rural India: from 68% in 2017-18 to 58.9% in 2025.
• Smaller decline in urban areas: from 38.9% to 36.4%.
• New enrolment has fallen across all levels, with the sharpest fall in primary and middle school cohorts.

Shift to Private Education

• Despite being costly, there is a significant shift to private education.
• In rural India, private education costs are seven times higher than government schools.
• 27% of students opt for private coaching: 31% in urban areas, 25.5% in rural areas.
• Growth in relative prosperity and smaller families contribute to the shift to private schools.

Issues in Government Schools

• Systemic lack of accountability leads to poor infrastructure and variable teaching standards.
• High teacher absenteeism: up to 25% nationwide, with some states as high as 46%.
• High level of vacancies in government schools compared to private schools.

Consequences of Divergence in Education

• Growing social inequality as those who can afford it move to private schools.
• Government schools are increasingly limited to poorer, marginalized sections.
• This limits opportunities for better-paid employment, trapping individuals in minimum-wage jobs.
• The decline of state schooling contrasts with the success of Asian Tigers and China, where strong public education systems supported economic growth.