Half of India’s Children Fail to Reach Class XII Despite Gains in Schooling: CRY

India has made notable progress in expanding access to school education, improving infrastructure and reducing dropout rates over the past few years. However, a new analysis of the UDISE+ 2025–26 data by CRY (Child Rights and You) warns that ensuring children complete secondary education remains one of the country’s biggest educational challenges. While enrolment and retention have improved in the elementary years, only 51.9 per cent of children entering Class I are expected to remain in school until Class XII.

According to the report, India now has 14.67 lakh schools serving 24.72 crore students with the support of 1.03 crore teachers, making it one of the world’s largest school education systems. National dropout rates have declined to 1.8 per cent at the preparatory stage, 3.6 per cent at the middle stage and 7 per cent at the secondary stage. School infrastructure has also improved significantly, with 95 per cent of schools having electricity, 99.5 per cent providing drinking water, and nearly 70 per cent equipped with computers and internet connectivity. Teacher availability has also improved, with pupil-teacher ratios remaining within the norms recommended under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Despite these gains, the report highlights a sharp decline in participation during adolescence. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) falls from 91.7 per cent at the preparatory stage to 71.7 per cent at the secondary level, indicating that nearly three in every ten adolescents of secondary-school age remain outside the education system. The analysis also points to persistent regional disparities, with states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra performing well, while Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh continue to lag behind on several educational indicators. Digital inequality and uneven teacher deployment remain significant concerns, with states including West Bengal recording pupil-teacher ratios well above the national average.

Commenting on the findings, Puja Marwaha, CEO of CRY, said that while India has made significant strides in expanding access to education, enrolment alone cannot be considered a measure of success. She stressed that the country’s real challenge is ensuring that every child, particularly adolescents, remains in school and completes secondary education. Marwaha also called for greater policy attention and investment in educational continuity, equity and school completion to help India achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 and ensure that no child is left behind.