The UDISE+ 2025–26 report released by the Ministry of Education shows that government school enrolment declined by nearly 86 lakh students between the 2023–24 and 2025–26 academic years, while private unaided schools gained over 88 lakh students during the same period.
Despite the fall in enrolment, the report highlights positive trends in education. School dropout rates have declined, student retention has improved at the middle and secondary levels, and the number of teachers has crossed 1.02 crore for the first time, improving the national pupil-teacher ratio.
The findings reflect changing school preferences alongside continued improvements in teacher availability and student retention across the country.
