CWSN Enrolment Trends Across School Stages in India from UDISE+ 2024-25 Data

CWSN Enrolment Trends Across School Stages in India from UDISE+ 2024-25 Data.

CWSN Enrolment Trends Across School Stages in India from UDISE+ 2024-25 Data


Introduction

India’s commitment to equitable education, enshrined in the Right to Education Act of 2009 and amplified by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, places special emphasis on including Children with Special Needs (CWSN) to achieve universal schooling by 2030. As part of Samagra Shiksha, efforts to track and enhance CWSN enrolment through robust data systems like UDISE+ are crucial for identifying gaps and informing policy. This analysis, drawing exclusively from UDISE+ 2024-25 data compiled by Prof. Arun C. Mehta, examines CWSN enrolment patterns from primary through higher secondary levels, highlighting progress, disparities, and the pathway to NEP’s inclusive vision. Hosted on the platform Education for All in India – a pioneering resource since 1999 for data-driven insights into school education – this report underscores how enrolment metrics can guide interventions for true universality.

Data Analysis

The UDISE+ 2024-25 dataset offers a detailed view of CWSN enrolment across India’s school eco-system, revealing both encouraging advancements and persistent challenges in fostering inclusion. At the national level, CWSN numbers stand at 943,512 in primary (classes 1-5), rising to 698,544 in upper primary (6-8), and totalling 1,642,056 for elementary education (1-8) – a mere 0.98% of the 168 million total students. This share inches up from 0.90% in primary to 1.10% in upper primary, suggesting early-stage interventions are gaining traction, though gender imbalances persist, with boys comprising 57.78% of elementary CWSN versus 42.22% for girls. Transitioning to secondary (9-10), enrolment stands at 324,941 CWSN (0.87% of 37.2 million students), with boys at 55.04% and girls at 44.96%, indicating a proportional dip from elementary that may reflect transitional challenges despite retention efforts. Higher secondary (11-12) sees 149,022 CWSN (0.54% of 27.6 million), where the gender ratio improves to 53.87% boys and 46.13% girls, pointing to narrowing disparities as students progress.

CWSN Elementary Enrolment UDISEplus 2024-25: By Levels of education & %age of Boys & Girls Enrolment

Aggregating across classes 1-12, CWSN total 2,116,019 out of 232.9 million students (0.91% share), with boys at 57.08% and girls at 42.92%, reflecting a modest narrowing of the gender gap from elementary levels through sustained support efforts.

State-wise data further reveals that, southern leaders like Kerala dominate, with 121,348 CWSN in 1-12 (2.18% share), including 2.34% at secondary and 2.58% at higher secondary, bolstered by near-parity in gender (boys 60.51% overall). Goa (1.64%) and Chandigarh (1.56%) follow, often exceeding 1.5% across stages, while north-eastern states like Mizoram (1.51%) show strong female inclusion (girls 50.78% in 1-12). Conversely, northern states lag: Haryana’s 0.39% overall (0.41% secondary, 0.21% higher secondary) and Rajasthan’s 0.46% (0.59% secondary, 0.46% higher secondary) reflect infrastructural hurdles, despite Uttar Pradesh’s sheer volume of 332,629 CWSN (0.80% share). Absolute leaders include Maharashtra (231,686 in 1-12, 1.11%) and Uttar Pradesh, yet their modest percentages underscore the need for proportional equity.

CWSN Secondary Enrolment UDISEplus 2024-25: By Levels of education & %age of Boys & Girls Enrolment

Gender nuances within CWSN vary regionally, with Arunachal Pradesh flipping to female-majority (55.90% girls in 1-12) and states like Chhattisgarh maintaining male skews (51.37% boys overall). From elementary to higher secondary, the progression reveals nuanced shifts in shares – 0.98% elementary to 0.87% secondary and 0.54% higher secondary – but the overall 0.91% for 1-12 aligns closely with foundational levels, signalling risks in transitions where dropouts could erode gains. These trends align with broader Samagra Shiksha goals, emphasizing assistive tech and teacher training to sustain momentum.

Provisions and Financial Norms under Samagra Shiksha for CWSN

Samagra Shiksha, as an integrated scheme for school education, dedicates specific provisions to ensure the inclusion of Children with Special Needs (CWSN) across all levels from pre-nursery to Class XII. These include comprehensive support for identification, assessment, and enrollment, alongside aids and appliances tailored to individual requirements. Key provisions encompass home-based education for severe cases, resource centers for specialized support, and transportation allowances to facilitate access. For out-of-school CWSN aged 16-19, particularly from SC/ST backgrounds, financial aid of up to ₹2,000 per child per grade is available to enable re-enrollment and completion of secondary education. Additionally, recurring grants cover stipends, uniforms, and books, while non-recurring funds support the procurement of assistive devices like hearing aids or wheelchairs.

Financial norms under the scheme allocate up to ₹3,500 per CWSN annually for students in government, government-aided, and local body schools, focusing on equity and inclusion to help all thrive in mainstream settings. This includes up to ₹1,000 for aids and appliances per child, with provisions for Braille kits, speech therapy, and physiotherapy sessions. States receive 60% central assistance (90% for north-eastern and special category states), ensuring scalable implementation. These norms also fund teacher training and barrier-free infrastructure, such as ramps and accessible toilets, to foster an enabling environment.

Utilizing CWSN Enrolment Data in Annual Work Plans

States can leverage UDISE+ 2024-25 CWSN enrolment data as a cornerstone for formulating Annual Work Plans & Budget (AWP&B) under Samagra Shiksha, transforming raw figures into actionable strategies. Begin by analysing state-specific trends: compare enrolment shares against national averages (e.g., Kerala’s 2.18% vs. Haryana’s 0.39%) to pinpoint under-enrolled districts, using gender breakdowns to target interventions for girls where disparities exceed 10-15%. Integrate progression data from elementary to secondary to forecast dropout risks, allocating funds proportionally – e.g., prioritizing ₹3,500 grants in low-share regions like Rajasthan.

Cross-reference with total enrolment to compute equity indices, identifying gaps in disability-specific support. For instance, if secondary enrolment stands at 0.87% nationally but lags locally, propose block-level resource centers in the AWP&B. Monitor via dashboards for mid-year adjustments, ensuring 20-30% of IE funds address identified voids. This data-driven approach not only optimizes resource distribution but aligns plans with NEP 2020’s 100% GER target, fostering measurable inclusion.

Data Collection on CWSN in UDISE+: Challenges and Advocacy

UDISE+ collects data on CWSN, including enrolment numbers by gender, grade, and level (primary to higher secondary), alongside infrastructure like disability-friendly facilities and teacher qualifications. It captures eight disability types as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act: visual impairment, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, intellectual disability, mental illness, speech and language disability, learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, and multiple disabilities. However, while earlier UDISE reports (pre-2020) routinely disaggregated enrolment by these categories for targeted analysis, recent releases like 2024-25 aggregate data without such breakdowns, limiting insights into specific needs like aids for locomotor disabilities.

School principals and headmasters, as primary UDISE+ respondents, often lack specialized training in disability identification and reporting, with surveys indicating fewer than 20% trained in CWSN assessment tools. This results in under-reporting or misclassification, as accurate categorization requires medical or psychological expertise beyond routine administrative duties. The need for specialized training- such as workshops on Rights of People With Disabilities Act (DPWD) classifications and inclusive data protocols – is acute, potentially integrated via Samagra Shiksha’s capacity-building funds to boost accuracy to 80-90%.

We advocate restoring detailed CWSN data by disability type in public UDISE+ releases, enabling researchers and policymakers to tailor interventions. With the Student Data Management System (SDMS) now embedded in UDISE+, real-time tracking of individual CWSN progression – from grade-to-grade and year-to-year – becomes feasible through Aadhaar-linked profiles, facilitating dropout prevention and personalized support. Placing this enriched dataset in the public domain would empower stakeholders, aligning with NEP’s transparency ethos.

Major Findings: CWSN Enrolment

  • National Enrolment Progression: CWSN share starts at 0.90% in primary (943,512 students), rises to 1.10% in upper primary (698,544), stands at 0.87% in secondary (324,941), and 0.54% in higher secondary (149,022), culminating in 0.91% overall for 1-12 (2,116,019 out of 232.9 million), indicating nuanced shifts with a slight foundational uptick but dips at upper levels.
  • Gender Trends Across Stages: Boys lead at 57.78% in elementary, 55.04% in secondary, and 53.87% in higher secondary, averaging 57.08% in 1-12; girls’ share improves from 42.22% elementary to 46.13% in higher secondary, with states like Arunachal Pradesh showing 55.90% female CWSN in 1-12.
  • Regional Leaders and Laggards: Kerala excels with 2.18% in 1-12 (2.34% secondary, 2.58% higher secondary), followed by Goa (1.64%) and Chandigarh (1.56%); Haryana trails at 0.39% overall (0.41% secondary, 0.21% higher secondary), alongside Rajasthan (0.46%) and Gujarat (0.56%).
  • Absolute Volumes: Uttar Pradesh tops with 332,629 CWSN in 1-12 (0.80% share), trailed by Maharashtra (231,686, 1.11%) and Bihar (180,358, 0.87%); smaller UTs like Andaman & Nicobar achieve 1.18% relative inclusion.
  • Overall CWSN Insights: Total 1-12 CWSN at 2,116,019 (0.91%) masks stage-wise variations, with gender parity advancing slightly and southern/north-eastern states outperforming, yet national averages highlight urban-rural and identification gaps.

Concluding Observations

While UDISE+ 2024-25 data signals progress in CWSN enrolment – particularly the incremental narrowing of gender gaps from elementary to higher secondary -the sub-1% national shares across stages reveal that universal secondary education under NEP 2020 remains elusive without accelerated action. Enhancing early detection, gender-sensitive infrastructure, and state-specific strategies could bridge regional divides, ensuring CWSN not only enrol but thrive, transforming India’s classrooms into true bastions of equity. As Prof. Arun C. Mehta’s analyses on Education for All in India consistently advocate, data must drive policy to realize Samagra Shiksha’s promise of inclusive growth.

Suggested Readings

For deeper dives into these trends, explore these resources from Education for All in India:

Education for All in India