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.
