SRINAGAR: Enrolment in government schools across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir fell by 28,013 between the academic years 2023–24 and 2024–25, according to figures placed before the Legislative Assembly. The same official return shows private school enrolment rose by 52,145 in the same period, producing a net increase of 24,132 pupils across both sectors.
Pic: Bilal Bahadur
The data tabled in the House by the School Education Department gives the following totals: government schools recorded 1,384,849 pupils in 2023–24 and 1,356,836 in 2024–25; private schools recorded 1,208,834 pupils in 2023–24 and 1,260,979 in 2024–25. Taken together, total enrolment rose from 2,593,683 to 2,617,815.
The decline in government rolls was driven primarily by a fall at the primary stage. Government primary enrolment fell from 529,708 to 503,628 — a drop of 26,080 pupils. By contrast, government pre-primary numbers rose modestly from 180,261 to 185,385, and higher secondary figures edged up from 187,358 to 187,993.
Private sector schools registered gains at almost every level. Private pre-primary enrolment increased from 239,054 to 267,376, primary from 515,312 to 524,469, upper primary from 268,199 to 274,407, secondary from 137,862 to 141,249, and higher secondary from 48,407 to 53,478.
In response to a starred question by Hon’ble MLA Arvind Gupta, the School Education Department set out measures intended to arrest the decline in government primary enrolment. The department said it is conducting annual enrolment drives via district school units; identifying out-of-school children through door-to-door surveys and enrolling them directly; operating seasonal centres for migratory tribal children; and providing free uniforms and textbooks to around eight lakh pupils. It also highlighted provision of mid-day meals under PM POSHAN from pre-primary through Class 8 and the introduction of pre-primary sections in 15,550 government schools, noting a rise in pre-primary attendance from 180,261 in 2023–24 to 185,385 in 2024–25.
The department added that it assesses proposals to upgrade high schools to higher secondary status against laid down feasibility norms — including a minimum 7 km catchment distance and at least 35 pupils in the highest class — and that upgradation also requires infrastructure creation and concurrence of the finance department.
