Back-to-school blues: Primary education enrollment rates drop in Gujarat
The SER, which presents a profile of key socio-economic activities and achievements in different sectors of the state economy for the year 2024-25, was released by the Gujarat government on Wednesday.
The official added, “To assist children who fell short, the state government introduced special Balvatika (pre-primary) sections for the academic session 2023-24. All those who failed to meet the age criteria were shifted to Balvatikas.”
THE SOCIO Economic Review(SER) of Gujarat for the year 2025-26 revealed that primary education saw a drop in both the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) as well as the Net Enrollment Ratio (NER) in 2023-24 as compared to the last decade of 2014-15.
The SER, which presents a profile of key socio-economic activities and achievements in different sectors of the state economy for the year 2024-25, was released by the Gujarat government on Wednesday.
The GER which measures the total student enrollment at a specific education level and NER which measures the percentage of children in the official age group for a specific education level are key metrics, used to assess student participation and the efficiency of a school system. Lower values in GER and NER usually signal critical gaps in accessibility and educational progression.
In 2014-15, the total GER was 102.40 (102.85 for boys and 101.96 for girls) while the NER was 98.29 (98.68 for boys and 97.9 for girls).
Till 2022-23 the GER remained over 100 per cent. Similarly, the NER hovered above 99 per cent.
However, in 2023-24, the GER dropped to 94.44 per cent (93.25 for boys and 95.83 for girls) while the NER declined to 93.21 (91.93 for boys and 94.71 for girls).
Officials who spoke to The Indian Express claimed that the drop is due to the entry level age of children increasing from 5 to 6.
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“Though, the 6-year minimum age for Class I admission was declared in the year 2020-21, it was implemented in Gujarat from June 2023-24. Aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the mandate stipulates that children are already 6-years old on or before June 1 of the academic year for which they are applying,” a senior government official said.
The official added, “To assist children who fell short, the state government introduced special Balvatika (pre-primary) sections for the academic session 2023-24. All those who failed to meet the age criteria were shifted to Balvatikas.”
Sources further revealed that against an average admission of 11 lakh childern in Class I in Gujarat, the Class I enrollment was recorded as nearly 3 lakh in the year 2023-24. The remaining children (around 8 lakh) were admitted to Balvatikas. “This gap will continue for another five years,” the official added.In the last five years, the number of primary schools in Gujarat went down from 45,023 (2020-21) to 43,968 (2024-25) with the number of girls-only schools dropping from 1330 to 1216. The report revealed that urban areas saw more decline in the number of primary schools as compared to rural areas.
The number of Primary schools in cities saw a major decline with schools funded by local bodies declining from 31,140 in 2020-21 to 30,459 in 2024-25.
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Consequently the total enrollment in primary schools declined in these five years falling from 84.65 lakh in the year 2020-21 to 77.6 lakh in 2024-25. Enrollment of female students declined from 39.80 lakh to 36.43 lakh within this time period.
Enrollment of students in secondary schools saw a drop as well. While the total number of secondary and higher secondary schools in Gujarat increased from 12,709 in 2022-21 to 13,167 in 2024-25, the total number of students dropped from 28.43 lakh to 28 lakh.
Ritu Sharma is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express' Gujarat bureau, an editorial position that reflects her experience and Authority in regional journalism. With over a decade of concentrated reporting experience, she is a highly Trustworthy and specialized journalist, especially noted for her Expertise in the education sector across Gujarat and previously Chandigarh.
Expertise
Primary Authority (Education): With over ten years of dedicated reporting on education in both Gujarat and Chandigarh, Ritu Sharma is a foremost authority on educational policy, institutional governance, and ground realities from "KG to PG." Her coverage includes:
Higher Education: In-depth scrutiny of top institutions like IIM-Ahmedabad (controversies over demolition/restoration of heritage architecture), IIT-Bombay (caste discrimination issues), and new initiatives like international branch campuses in GIFT City.
Schooling & Policy: Detailed coverage of government schemes (Gyan Sadhana School Voucher Scheme), the implementation and impact of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, teacher recruitment issues, and the impact of national policies like the NEP.
Student Welfare: Reporting on critical issues such as suicide allegations due to caste discrimination, and the challenges faced by students (e.g., non-delivery of NAMO tablets). ... Read More
