Lucknow: Despite having the largest school system in the country with 2.62 lakh schools, Uttar Pradesh has just 7,610 institutions where integrated school, from Class 1 to XII, operates, leading to transition inefficiencies and increase in risk of dropouts, shows the NITI Aayog’s report on School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement.The report shows UP has no child out of school at primary level (Class 1) in 2024-25 as against 7% dropouts a decade back.On the other side, the state recorded steepest rise in upper primary (in Class VI) dropouts, from 0.52% in 2014-15 to 3% in 2024-25. At secondary level, 7% of students discontinue education during an academic year.According to the report, UP demonstrates the steepest relative decline in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at primary level, from 112.09% in 2014-15 to 83.1% in 2024-25. The high numbers at primary level in 2014-15, said an official, is due to the inclusion of over-age and under-age students.GER measures the total enrolment in a particular level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the official age-group population for that level. At secondary level too, UP emerges as a weak performer with GER standing at 64.3% in 2024-25 from 68.78% in 2014-15. UP sees more enrolments in upper primary level, from 74.57% in 2014-15 to 83.9% in 2024-25.The state recorded notable improvement in enrolments at higher secondary level (Class XI), too. The GER at higher secondary level in 2024-25 was recorded at 57.4% as against 52.9% in 2014-15.UP recorded one of the sharpest increases in transition from primary to upper primary level – from 78.46% in 2014-15 to 91% in 2024-15. The transition rates indicate the proportion of students who progress from one educational level to the other.The progression of students from the upper primary to secondary level is worrisome for UP. As against 93.82% in 2014-15, the transition rate in 2024-25 declined to 78.1%. Citing persistent challenges in ensuring retention through secondary and higher secondary level, the report shows transition rate falling to 78.6% in 2024-25 from 80.45% in 2014-15.“As participation beyond Class 10 lies outside the mandate of the RTE Act, financial constraints, early entry into the workforce, and social pressures continue to impede progression, underscoring the need for sustained policy and institutional support,” points the report.
