MP among worst-performing states in primary school enrollments

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh has recorded one of the steepest declines in primary school enrollment in the country over the past decade, raising concerns about access to education, student retention and the effectiveness of policy interventions.

According to the 2024–25 Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) data released by NITI Aayog in May 2026, Madhya Pradesh’s primary GER has fallen to 76.3%, placing it among the lowest-performing states in India. A decade ago, the state’s GER stood at around 109.3%, indicating a drop of nearly 30 percentage points.

The decline is among the sharpest recorded nationally, surpassed only by similar downturns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Education experts say the trend warrants urgent attention as Madhya Pradesh is one of India’s largest states, where even small percentage shifts can affect a vast number of children.

While Madhya Pradesh has witnessed a significant contraction, several northeastern states and smaller Union Territories (UTs) have reported exceptionally high primary GERs. Meghalaya topped the list with 180.7%, followed by Manipur (140.5%), Mizoram (138.0%) and Tripura (117.9%). Other states with GERs above 100% include Goa, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, indicating enrollment levels that exceed the formal age-group population.

At the lower end of the rankings, Bihar (77.2%), Gujarat (79.6%), Uttar Pradesh (83.1%), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (85.1%) and Rajasthan (88.3%) also reported weak enrollment figures.

The decade-long trend highlights dramatic gains in several smaller states and UTs, including Lakshadweep, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. In contrast, many large Hindi heartland states, including Madhya Pradesh, have experienced substantial declines.

Experts believe the drop in Madhya Pradesh’s GER could point to deeper issues related to school access, retention, migration patterns or data reporting practices.

Madhya Pradesh Parents Association General Secretary Prabodh Pandya said the fall in Madhya Pradesh’s primary GER from about 109.3% to 76.3% over the last decade is significant for three reasons: scale, equity and policy implications.

“Madhya Pradesh is one of India’s most populous states, a large absolute number of children are affected. A percentage-point shift here represents hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of children moving out of the formal primary enrollment counts or being under-counted,” said Pandya.

He added that the decline raises serious equity concerns.

“Regions with persistent poverty, limited school infrastructure, high out-of-school rates, or social barriers (gender, caste, and child labour) risk falling further behind,” he said.

Pandya stressed that identifying the reasons behind the decline is crucial for designing effective interventions.

“If children have stopped attending, targeted interventions — conditional cash transfers, midday meal strengthening, transport and school infrastructure expansion, and community outreach — are needed. If the decline stems from better data hygiene or migration of overage students into other categories, the policy prescription differs.”

Education observers say the steep decline in large states such as Madhya Pradesh may indicate systemic retention challenges or demographic shifts. They argue that policymakers should combine household survey findings, school attendance records and migration studies to accurately determine the causes.

A senior teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, recommended rapid district-level diagnostics to identify problem areas, stronger outreach to marginalized communities, and improved school readiness programmes and bridge courses for overage students.

The teacher also suggested greater investment in teacher recruitment and training, expansion of educational access in remote regions, and targeted efforts to address the socio-economic factors driving school dropouts.