Gujarat in education ministry’s ‘red zone’ as secondary school dropouts surge

ASER figures also show that enrolment in secondary schools was 49.5 per cent in 2022-23. This dropped to 45.7 per cent in 2023-34, and then drastically to 26.1 per cent in 2024-25 till it subsequently improved.Gujarat is in the ‘red zone’ of an education ministry report that has flagged the state for recording an above 15 per cent dropout rate in secondary schools, which means that more than 15 of every 100 students drop out by the time they reach secondary school in the state. The latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2025‑26 data also show that enrolment in state secondary and higher secondary schools is far below the national average, despite the government running Shala Praveshotsav, a dedicated school enrolment programme for more than two decades.UDISE+, the central education management information system that enables schools to record and submit data in real-time mode, also reveals a lower age-specific enrolment rate (ASER) in Gujarat. According to the 2025-26 report, the net enrolment rate for higher secondary schools in Gujarat is 29.1, which is the number of students enrolled in a particular education level divided by the population of the official age group for that level. The net enrolment rate for girls in the same section is 29.6 per cent, lower than the national average of 41.1 per cent. UDISE figures show Gujarat’s higher secondary school enrolment has dropped from over 40 per cent in 2022-23 to 34.7 per cent in 2023-24 and to just 24 per cent in 2024-25—well below the national average of 35.8 per cent—before improving to 29 per cent in 2025-26. The ASER figures show that 31.3 per cent of Gujarat students eligible for secondary or higher secondary school actually enrolled, both far worse than the national averages of 51.3 per cent and 52.5 per cent, respectively. ASER figures also show that enrolment in secondary schools was 49.5 per cent in 2022-23. This dropped to 45.7 per cent in 2023-34, and then drastically to 26.1 per cent in 2024-25 till it subsequently improved.Story continues below this ad An education official closely associated with the enrolment data told The Indian Express that the reasons for dropping out range from students changing schools to early marriage. “Other reasons might be area or district specific, like in rural or tribal areas where boys drop out of school to financially support the family, or social restrictions on girls travelling to other villages or towns for higher education. In many cases, it has also been noticed that students drop out of schools in secondary classes after they fail to clear their exams,” the official added. Better enrolment in primary school In primary schools, Gujarat has done better with a zero dropout rate. However, records show 17.6 per cent of boys dropped out of secondary school (Classes 9 and 10) in the state, far higher than the national average of 10.9 per cent. The rate among girls is 13.3 per cent, against the national average of 8 per cent. The overall dropout rate of 15.7 per cent against the national average of 9.5 per cent indicates that while Gujarat has succeeded in getting children into primary school, it is struggling to keep them in classrooms once they reach secondary school. A positive sign: Drop in ‘zero-enrolment’ schools The one silver lining was that out of 53,425 schools in Gujarat, the number of schools with zero enrolments marginally dropped from 63 in 2024-25 to 58 in 2025-26. The number of teachers in such schools dropped from 78 to 74 in the same period.Story continues below this ad Anticipating the UDISE results, during the annual school enrolment programmes in June, the state government was focused on bringing back 6.4 lakh students who had dropped out the previous year. At the end of the three-day campaign, 50,000 remained out of school. Ritu Sharma is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express' Gujarat bureau, an editorial position that reflects her