Parliament Panel Flags 73% Student Dropout Before Class 12

Core News & Key Facts

A parliamentary panel has raised serious concerns over India’s school education system, highlighting that nearly 73% of students drop out before completing higher secondary education. The observations were included in the Tenth Report of the Committee on Estimates for 2026-27, presented in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The committee cited a sharp decline in the number of schools as students progress through education. According to UDISE 2024-25 data, India has 9,11,032 primary schools, compared with 1,61,808 secondary schools and only 90,866 higher secondary schools. Student enrolment also falls substantially, from more than 6.18 crore at the primary level to around 1.64 crore at higher secondary level.

The panel urged the Education Ministry and state governments to upgrade existing schools and expand secondary and higher secondary infrastructure.

Context & Official Statements

The committee also flagged difficulties arising from the transition to the National Education Policy 2020 and National Curriculum Framework 2023. It said shortages of newly developed NCERT textbooks have created a gap between the updated curriculum and classroom implementation.

Students, particularly those preparing for Classes 10 and 12, are facing additional stress because of newer application-based examination patterns while some schools continue using older learning materials.

Teacher training was another major concern. Although CBSE has trained more than 11 million participants through online and offline programmes over five years, online participation reportedly declined sharply from over 53 lakh in 2022 to about 1.62 lakh in 2025.

The panel also noted inadequate facilities for children with special needs. Only 5,23,143 of 14,71,437 schools had CwSN-friendly toilets, while 8,08,466 had ramps with handrails.

Impact & What to Expect Next

The committee recommended faster nationwide distribution of new textbooks, stronger teacher-capacity programmes and greater coordination between NCERT and CBSE. It also called for targeted examination-fee concessions for economically weaker and socially disadvantaged students.

On education spending, the panel noted that combined Centre and state expenditure stands at 4.1% of GDP, below the 6% target envisioned under NEP 2020. It recommended a mandatory annual baseline increase of 10% in education budgets to gradually close the gap.

The panel further proposed a dedicated, non-lapsable education fund for long-term infrastructure, digital expansion and inclusive education. Its recommendations place school availability, student retention, examination reforms and funding at the centre of the next phase of education policy.