Office of Block Resource Centre working on UDISE

Analysis of UDISEPlus Reports 2022-23 & 2023-24 per the NEP Structure

(Released by Ministry of Education on 30th December 2024)

Introduction

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 introduced a transformative framework for the Indian education sector, fundamentally restructuring the school system to align with children’s developmental and educational needs from ages 3 to 18. Departing from the traditional 10+2 model suggested by the Kothari Commission, the new structure follows a 5+3+3+4 format, focusing on the Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary stages. This article discusses the objectives, coverage, indicators, implications, and distinctive aspects of this restructured model as reflected in the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2023-24 report. Similar to 2023-24, a report is also available for 2022-23 and aligns with the restructured school sector recommended by NEP 2020.

The article briefly discusses the progress made in 2023-24 over the previous year, 2022-23, and is primarily based on the official UDISEPlus 2022-23 and UDISEPlus 2023-24 as per the NEP structure, which is downloadable from the official website of UDISEPlus.

To understand different dimensions of restructured school sector concerning universalisation and its implications for preparatory, foundational, middle, and secondary phases, one may like to go through the article, Computing the Un-computed Indicators, written by Prof. Arun C Mehta.

 Objectives of the Restructured School Sector

The primary objectives of the restructured school sector under NEP 2020 are:

  1. Universal Participation: Ensure every child is enrolled in and attending school, with opportunities for re-entry in case of dropouts.
  2. Holistic Development: Incorporate Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for ages 3-6, fostering cognitive and socio-emotional development.
  3. Equity and Inclusion: Address gaps in access, participation, and learning outcomes across social categories, including marginalized communities.
  4. Learning Outcomes: Enhance learning outcomes through interactive, age-appropriate pedagogy and robust teacher-student ratios; and
  5. Data-driven Governance: Transition to student-level data collection for accurate monitoring and targeted interventions.

Coverage

The NEP-aligned structure now encompasses:

  • Foundational Stage: ECCE and Primary education (ages 3-8).
  • Preparatory Stage: Classes 3 to 5 (ages 8-11).
  • Middle Stage: Classes 6 to 8 (ages 11-14).
  • Secondary Stage: Classes 9 to 12 (ages 14-18).

Indicators Used and Analysed

The following indicators found a place in the UDISEPlus 2022-23 & 2023-24 Reports (NEP Structure), which are termed as well beginning. It is hoped that the remaining indicators will also be presented as per the phases of the restructured school sector.

  1. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): Measures enrolment as a percentage of the relevant age group.
  2. Dropout Rates: Assesses school retention and re-entry effectiveness.
  3. Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR): Evaluates adequacy of teacher deployment.
  4. Infrastructure Availability: Tracks access to facilities like electricity, clean water, toilets, and internet.
  5. Equity Measures: Monitors enrolments by gender, social category, and minority status.

Implications on School Education in India

  1. Enhanced Learning Foundations: The restructured system ensures a robust start to children’s educational journey by integrating ECCE into formal schooling.
  2. Better Equity: Social category data indicate progress toward inclusive education, with nearly 45% of students from OBC backgrounds and 48.1% being girls.
  3. Improved Retention: Student-level tracking has reduced dropouts and enhanced transition rates, e.g., 98.1% from Foundational to Preparatory levels.
  4. Data-driven Decision-making: Individual-level data collection improves governance and reduces duplication, aiding schemes like PM POSHAN.
  5. Infrastructure Improvement: UDISE+ 2023-24 highlights over 91.8% of schools with electricity and 98.6% with functional toilets, fostering a conducive learning environment.

Departure from Traditional Models

The new structure marks a significant shift:

  1. Integration of ECCE: Unlike the traditional 10+2 model, NEP includes children aged 3-6, focusing on early development.
  2. Granular Data Collection: Transition from school-level to student-level data provides granular insights, enabling tailored interventions.
  3. Stage-specific Focus: Replace the rigid division of primary and secondary education with stages aligned to developmental milestones.
  4. Comprehensive Indicators: New metrics like Aadhaar seeding and Educational IDs enhance tracking and analysis.

The restructured school sector under NEP 2020 represents a paradigm shift toward holistic, equitable, and quality education in India. The UDISE+ 2023-24 report underscores the initial successes and potential areas for improvement in this transformative journey. The comparative analysis of subsequent years, presented below, sheds further light on the enduring impact of this new educational architecture.

Comparative Analysis of Key Indicators

  1. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): 2022-23 vs. 2023-24

The GER measures the enrolment of students as a percentage of the population in the corresponding age group for each educational stage. One may go through Decoding UDISE+ 2021-22 Enrolment Ratios under Samagra Shiksha, as Prof. Arun C Mehta documented, to understand enrolment ratios and their implications on universal school education.

The GER, NER, Adjusted NER, and Age-specific Enrolment Ratio (ASER) all suggest that more efforts are required to bring all children under the education umbrella with more intensive strategies to follow up at the secondary level of education.

Phase GER (2022-23) GER (2023-24) Observations
Foundational 41.9% 41.5% Slight increase due to ECCE integration.
Preparatory 96.9% 96.5% Marginal improvement, indicating better transitions.
Middle 90.0% 89.5% Reflects steady retention at upper primary.
Secondary 57.1% 66.5% Noticeable rise, reflecting better infrastructure and reduced dropouts.
Phase NER (2023-24) Adjusted NER Age-specific ER
Foundational 37.8% 47.3% 47.3%
Preparatory 71.4% 89.7% 95.4%
Middle 64.4% 81.0% 88.5%
Secondary 50.9% 50.9% 56.4%
  1. Dropout Rates

Dropout rates provide insights into retention challenges across educational phases. One may go through Does UDISE+ Underestimates Dropout Rates and Dropout Rates in Schools in India, documented by Prof. Arun C Mehta, to understand the computation of dropout rates and their implications on universal school education.

Despite the improvement in dropout rates at different phases, much more effort is required to retain all the students, which is also reflected in the retention rate, particularly at the secondary phase, which is quite low at 45.6 percent in 2023-24.

Phase Dropout Rate (2022-23) Dropout Rate

(2023-24)

 Retention Rate, 2023-24 Observations
Foundational 0.0% 0.0% 98.0 Maintained at zero due to ECCE efforts.
Preparatory 8.7% 3.7% 85.4 Drop-in rates indicate successful interventions.
Middle 8.1% 5.2% 78.0 Consistent efforts to keep students engaged.
Secondary 13.8% 10.9% 45.6 Reflects progress in reducing dropouts.
  1. Transition Rates

Transition rates reflect the movement of students between phases. One may go through the Transition Rates in School Education in India and Codes, Concepts & Definitions of  UDISEPlus: Types of Schools, Enrolment, Dropout, Transition & Retention Rates, & More, documented by Prof. Arun C Mehta, to understand the computation of transition rates and their implications on universal school education.

Transition Phase Rate (2022-23) Rate (2023-24) Observations
Foundational to Preparatory 92.2% 98.1% Slight increase due to robust ECCE focus.
Preparatory to Middle 87.9% 888% Indicates improved retention strategies.
Middle to Secondary 86.7% 83.3% Sows a negative trend, and there is room for further improvement.

  1. Infrastructure Availability

The infrastructure supports enrollment and retention, which, on a few parameters obtained from the UDISEPlus Reports, is presented below, which shows that the same is improved in 2023-24 over the previous year, but still, there is room for further improvement.

Infrastructure Element % Availability (2022-23) % Availability (2023-24) Observations
Electricity 91.7% 91.8% Consistent upgrades across schools.
Functional Toilets 98.6% 95.7% Near-universal access achieved.
Drinking Water 98.4% 98.3% Continued focus on clean water access.

  1. Pupil-teacher ratio (PTR)

PTR evaluates the adequacy of teacher deployment, which is presented by different phases of the restructured school sector.

Phase PTR (2022-23) PTR (2023-24) Observations
Foundational 11:1 10:1 Better PTR within RTE norms.
Preparatory 14:1 18:1 Maintained optimal levels.
Middle 18:1 13:1 The improvement observed reduces teacher load.
Secondary 23:1 21:1 Gradual progress towards NEP recommendations.

Analysis of Trends

  1. Enrolment Growth: The foundational stage has shown significant enrolment growth, primarily due to the integration of ECCE. Secondary education also reflects increased participation, aided by reduced dropouts.
  2. Retention Improvement: Dropout rates are decreasing across all stages, especially in the preparatory and middle phases, indicating the effectiveness of targeted schemes like scholarships and mid-day meals.
  3. Enhanced Infrastructure: The availability of electricity, functional toilets, and playgrounds has significantly improved, creating a conducive learning environment.
  4. Teacher Deployment: PTR trends highlight progress towards achieving NEP 2020’s goals, particularly in the middle and secondary stages.

Concluding Observations

The restructured school sector under NEP 2020 has laid the foundation for a more inclusive and holistic education system. The comparative analysis indicates steady progress across key indicators from 2022-23 to 2023-24. However, challenges in secondary-level dropout rates and infrastructure parity remain areas for targeted intervention. However, achieving universal school education requires overcoming access, equity, teacher quality, infrastructure, and governance challenges. Addressing these issues through targeted interventions, community engagement, and robust policy implementation will be critical to realizing the NEP’s transformative vision for India’s education system.

Education for All in India