CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has recorded a sharp increase in school dropout rates across three levels— primary (Classes 1–5), upper primary (6–8) and secondary (9–10) — in 2024–25, according to the latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data released by the Union Ministry of Education on Tuesday.
In primary and upper primary levels, the dropout rate rose from 0% for both to 2.7% and 2.8% in 2024-25 respectively— the highest in the last five years since 2020–21.
At the secondary level, it has increased from 7.7% in 2023–24 to 8.5% in 2024–25.
For a state that has long maintained some of the lowest dropout rates in the country, the latest figures have raised concerns and confusion among educators.
The School Education Department is yet to provide an explanation for the rise in dropouts.
When contacted, a senior official said they would respond after examining the UDISE+ data in detail.
As per the UDISE+ definition, dropout rate represents the proportion of students enrolled at a particular level who are no longer enrolled in any grade the following year.
Tamil Nadu now trails its southern counterparts in the primary category, with Kerala (0.8%), Karnataka (0%), Andhra Pradesh (1.4%) and Telangana (0%) all recording lower dropout rates.
Steady decline in enrolment in TN govt schools
The state ranked ninth from the bottom nationally, a sharp contrast to its earlier standing as one of India’s best-performing states. It also fared poorly compared to the national average of 0.3% at the primary level.
However, it performed better than the national average in upper primary (3.5%) and secondary (11.5%) categories.
The data further showed a steady decline in enrolment in government and government-aided schools, alongside a rise in private school admissions. In 2024–25, only 2.7 lakh students enrolled in Class 1 in government schools, down from 2.8 lakh in 2023–24.
Enrolment in government-aided schools fell from 97,692 to 91,694 in the same period.
In contrast, private schools saw an increase, with Class 1 admissions rising from 5.17 lakh in 2023–24 to 5.62 lakh in 2024–25.
According to the report, Tamil Nadu had 57,935 schools in 2024–25, down from 58,722 the previous year, catering to 1.25 crore students and employing 5.49 lakh teachers.
The state’s pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) improved slightly to 23 from 24 last year.
However, the number of single-teacher schools rose sharply to 3,671 (from 2,758 in 2023–24), serving 95,353 students (up from 80,586). The report also showed that about 98% of government schools have functional toilets, with 92.1% having functional girls’ toilets and 86.9% having functional boys’ toilets.
Activists have urged the School Education Department to ensure greater transparency in the out-of-school children survey, which they said should be conducted in coordination with all relevant government departments, local bodies, and NGOs.
“The survey must be conducted more effectively and its findings should be made public. The government should also consider reviving the bridge schools that once operated under the National Child Labour Programme, as they are crucial for reintegrating dropouts who return to school,” said S C Natraj of Sudar, an NGO working with tribal children in Erode.