NEW DELHI: Government school enrolment for children aged 6-14 has declined sharply from 72.9% in 2022 to 66.8% in 2024, as per the ‘Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2024’ released Tuesday. While overall enrolment for this age group remains high at 98.1%, the drop in govt school share signals a post-pandemic shift toward private institutions. During Covid, economic pressures pushed families to opt for govt schools, temporarily boosting enrolment, but the trend has now reverted to pre-pandemic levels of 66-67%.
The proportion of out-of-school adolescents aged 15-16 has steadily decreased, from 13.1% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2024. However, learning gaps persist in higher grades. Among Class 8 students, only “45.8% are able to perform basic arithmetic in 2024”, unchanged in recent years.
Boys outshine girls in digi skills: Report
Private school students have also shown no significant progress since 2022, highlighting systemic challenges in improving learning outcomes. Experts stress state govts must prioritise basic maths performance in higher grades. Conducted by Pratham, the survey covered 605 rural districts, 17,997 villages, and almost 6.5 lakh children. The report also highlights a post-Covid surge in digital awareness and smartphone usage among children.
Over 90% of households with young people now own smartphones, and more than 80% of children aged 14-16 know how to use them. Yet, only 57% use them for educational purposes. Among this group, “36.2% of boys and 26.9% of girls own smartphones”, revealing a gender gap in digital access.
“Boys outperform girls across most states in digital skills,” the report states, though states like Kerala and Karnataka buck the trend, where “girls often match or outperform boys”. Gender inequality in digital literacy remains a pressing issue.
Infrastructure remains a challenge in many regions. States like Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland lag in providing usable toilets and drinking water. “Only 72% schools have usable girls’ toilets, up from 66.4% in 2018”, while 77.7% have drinking water. Sports facilities show little progress, with “just 66.2% of schools having playgrounds in 2024”, a slight dip from 66.5% in 2018. These deficits highlight inadequate investment in school infrastructure.
Despite challenges, there is progress in foundational learning for lower grades. The proportion of Class 3 students in govt schools who can read a Class 2-level text “increased from 16.3% in 2022 to 23.4% in 2024″. Similarly, arithmetic proficiency improved, with ‘27.6% of Class 3 students in govt schools able to solve a subtraction problem”, up from 20.2% in 2022. These gains reflect the success of foundational literacy and numeracy programmes, supported by teacher training and learning materials.
Pre-primary education has seen significant progress, with “enrolment among children aged 3-5 years steadily increasing”. States like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Odisha report near-universal enrolment for this age group. The proportion of underage children enrolled in Class 1 “dropped from 25.6% in 2018 to 16.7% in 2024”, ensuring age-appropriate admissions. These improvements highlight the impact of targeted early childhood education policies.
Better attendance rates in govt schools underscore further progress. “Teacher attendance rose to 87.5% in 2024 from 85.1% in 2018”, and student attendance “increased to 75.9% from 72.4%”. Efforts to improve access in remote areas are evident, with “52.1% of govt primary schools now having fewer than 60 students”, reflecting outreach in sparsely populated regions.
Localised successes are notable in states like Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, where enrolment in govt pre-primary schools has surged. Digital literacy among children aged 14-16 has also improved, with “over 75% successfully completing tasks like setting alarms, browsing for information, and sharing content via messaging platforms”.
While the report highlights these advancements, it emphasises the need to address persistent issues, such as learning gaps in higher grades, gender inequality in digital access, and inadequate infrastructure. Sustained efforts in these areas will be crucial for equitable and quality education across rural India.
