Slowdown in Indian economy drives 3.7 million students out of schools in 2023-24

India’s education system is facing a crisis, with millions of children dropping out due to financial instability and systemic issues. Despite the government's efforts to improve access, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of essential resources have created significant barriers, especially in rural areas. As a result, many children are forced into the workforce, leaving their education behind.

In the bustling Sarita Vihar market of South Delhi, 16-year-old Aman Kumar can be found working tirelessly at a vegetable stall. With swift hands, he arranges fresh produce and effortlessly lifts sacks of potatoes. The rhythm of his work is familiar, but the sound of school bells is a distant memory. His education was cut short when family circumstances changed, forcing him to leave school and contribute to the household.

“Last year, I had to leave school, I loved learning and playing with my friends, but when Papa got sick, everything changed. We couldn’t afford the fees or the books anymore. I wanted to stay, but my family needed me. Now, I help at the stall every day, and sometimes I wonder if I will ever get to go back,” Kumar tells Media India Group.

Kumar’s story is a microcosm of the broader challenges facing millions of Indian children. His father, Keshav Kumar, explains the difficult decision to pull his son out of school.

“We had no choice. The government schools may not charge fees, but the cost of uniforms, books, and even transportation adds up. It is beyond our reach,” Kumar tells Media India Group.

Aman Kumar is hardly the only such case of a child dropping out of school. India’s education system is facing an alarming challenge as a staggering 3.7 million students dropped out of school in the academic year 2023-24. According to Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data from the Ministry of Education, this decline brings total enrolment down to 248 million from 251 million in the previous year, a sharp and unprecedented drop that highlights systemic issues in accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity. It had happened even as the national population grew by over 13 million within the year. Falling enrolment rates amidst rising population has sparked widespread concern among educators and policymakers, signalling the urgent need for reform.

Hussain Dilshi, Assistant Professor at BRA Bihar University, in Muzaffarpur, Bihar,  says the crisis is likely to have far-reaching implications.

“The economic impact of the pandemic has been devastating for education. Many families, especially in rural and marginalised communities, have had to make heartbreaking choices. Boys are being pushed into labour, and girls into early marriages, which significantly disrupt their futures,” Dilshi tells Media India Group.

“As an educator, it pains me to see children losing access to schools due to financial constraints and systemic failures. Education is not just a right but a necessity for breaking the cycle of poverty. We need to focus on creating stronger support systems, from scholarships to better infrastructure, and bridge the gaps in digital learning so that no child is left behind,” he adds.

Educational officials attribute a portion of the enrolment decline to improved data collection methods, which eliminated duplicate student entries by linking records to Aadhaar numbers. However, this explanation only scratches the surface. Experts point to deeper issues such as economic hardships exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, inadequate infrastructure in rural areas, and the unintended consequences of shifting to online education.

“It is heartbreaking to see how the pandemic has reshaped priorities for so many families. Education, once seen as a cornerstone of opportunity, is now being deprioritised. Rising costs and financial instability have forced many parents, particularly in rural areas, to pull their children out of school. Boys, in particular, are being pushed into the workforce at a young age, cutting short their potential and future opportunities. It is a grim reality, and it underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to support education during these challenging times,” Dilshi adds.

The dropout numbers are stark. While boys accounted for 2.1 million fewer enrolments, while girls saw a 1.6 million decline. Minority communities, particularly Muslims, faced significant hurdles, with their representation in total enrolments remaining static at 20 pc. Among students from disadvantaged groups, 45.2 pc belonged to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), while Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 18 pc and 9.9 pc, respectively.

Ghulam Nabi Rather, an English lecturer  has observed the challenges and systemic failures plaguing government schools in India. With years of experience in the education sector, he emphasises the urgent need to address the growing disparities between government and private schools. He highlights the deep-rooted issues of accountability, infrastructure, and accessibility that continue to hinder the progress of government education in the country.

“The decline in enrolment in government schools across the country is alarming. The elite send their children to high-profile private schools, and the middle class opts for private institutions as well, leaving government schools to cater to the poorest sections of society. Unfortunately, these schools often lack even the most basic infrastructure and facilities,” Rather tells Media India Group.

Rather points to the lack of accountability among government school employees and the troubling fact that even educators themselves prefer private schooling for their children, highlighting the systemic failures and lack of commitment to improving the education system

“For the underprivileged families who do enrol their children in government schools, survival takes precedence over education. Many parents are forced to involve their children in labour to make ends meet. Co-curricular activities, which are essential for holistic development, are completely neglected in these institutions. What is most disheartening is the attitude of government school employees, who often treat their roles as mere jobs without any accountability. Even government school teachers prefer to send their own children to private schools, further undermining the credibility of the system. The government, too, shows a lack of commitment to improving the state of these schools,” he adds.

“The education system needs a complete overhaul, with accountability and responsibility at its core. Without significant reforms, government schools will continue to fail the very children who need them the most,” Rather adds.

Despite advancements in technology, online education heralded as a solution during the pandemic has widened the gap between urban and rural students. In rural areas, where internet access and digital literacy remain limited, many children fell behind in their studies and eventually dropped out.

According to the latest data from the UDISE, India has over 1.47 million schools, with 152,000 of them lacking functional electricity. Out of the total 1.017 million government-run schools, 912,000 have access to electricity, while 152,000 do not. This significant number of schools without basic utilities like electricity highlights the challenges in providing essential infrastructure to educational institutions, especially in rural and underserved areas, further exacerbating the disparities in the education system.

“Basic infrastructure, such as electricity, is crucial for creating an environment conducive to learning. Without it, schools are not just physically inadequate, they become symbolic of a system that fails to meet the fundamental needs of its students. The lack of basic amenities in so many government schools is a reflection of the systemic neglect that continues to plague our education system,” an educationist from Delhi tells Media India Group.

Infrastructure issues further exacerbate the problem. While some urban schools grapple with overcrowded classrooms, rural schools often operate with skeletal resources.

The latest data from UDISE+ sheds light on the significant gaps in digital readiness and infrastructure in schools across India. Around 57 pc of schools have functional computers, and just 54 pc are equipped with Internet access. The report also reveals that only 52.3 pc of schools provide ramps with handrails for differently-abled students, underlining the challenges faced in creating an inclusive educational environment.

These infrastructure deficiencies coincide with a worrying decline in enrolment rates at various education levels, particularly in the transition from preparatory to foundational stages. Despite initiatives under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to improve inclusivity and access, dropout rates continue to rise, with significant increases at the secondary level. This points to the urgent need for targeted interventions to ensure that the most marginalised students are not left behind.

“In government schools, overcrowded classrooms are a major concern, with as many as 70 to 80 students in a single class. This not only hampers individual attention but also significantly impacts the quality of education. Such conditions are a clear indicator that we are not investing enough in the future of our children,” Educationist adds.

Education activist Preeti Nandini, who has spent years working on the ground to improve access to education, says she often encounters heartbreaking stories of children forced to abandon their studies. Nandini explains how, despite education being officially free, many children, especially from economically disadvantaged families, see it as an unattainable luxury. In her interactions with these children, she has witnessed firsthand how financial pressures push them into the workforce, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and diminishing the value of education in their lives.

“I often see young children on the streets, helping their families with various tasks. When I ask them about their studies, their response is always the same: ‘What should we do with education? We need to help our families, and education requires money, which we don’t have.’ It is heartbreaking to realise that for these children, education though technically free, is seen as an unattainable luxury. There is such a lack of awareness about the importance of education, and without basic resources or support, they are left with no choice but to step into the workforce at an early age. This highlights the systemic failures that push children out of school and into the streets, further deepening the cycle of poverty,” Nandini tells Media India Group.

As per Census 2011, the total child population in India in the age group of 5-14 years stands at 259.6 million. Of these, 10.1 million children, 3.9 pc of the total child population, are engaged in work, either as ‘main workers’ or ‘marginal workers’. This statistic highlights a disturbing reality children are being forced into the labour market instead of pursuing their education. Additionally, more than 42.7 million children in India remain out of school, exacerbating the education crisis in the country.

“These numbers are not just statistics they represent the lost futures of millions of children. While we focus on the need for education, we must confront the harsh truth that many children are already on the streets, working instead of learning, and no policy will succeed unless it addresses the underlying economic disparities that push them out of schools,” Nandini adds.