School-EDucation-in-West-Bengal-Analysis-based-on-UDISE-2024-25-Data

School-EDucation-in-West-Bengal-Analysis-based-on-UDISE-2024-25-Data.

Highlights of UDISE+ Data as per NEP 2020 Structure, 2024-25, West Bengal

School Education in West Bengal: Where do we stand? : Analysis of UDISE+ 2021-22 to 2024-25 Data by Prof. Arun C Mehta [PDF]

School Education in West Bengal: Where Do We Stand? An Analysis of UDISE+ Data 2021–22 to 2024–25


Arun C Mehta, Former Professor & Head of the EMIS Department, NIEPA, New Delhi

Published on 5th January 2026 at https://educationforallinindia.com

West Bengal’s school education system shows strong enrolment and infrastructure at the foundational levels, but serious weaknesses in secondary participation, digital readiness, and higher-stage completion. Overall access and gender parity are impressive, yet high dropout rates at secondary and lower higher-secondary NER threaten the NEP 2020 goal of universal school completion by 2030.​

Executive Summary

West Bengal educates nearly 7 per cent of India’s school students through a predominantly government-managed, primary-heavy school network and near-universal basic facilities. Enrolment, GER, and GPI at the elementary level are high, and retention up to Class 8 has improved. However, sharp declines in GER/NER at secondary and higher secondary levels, combined with high dropout rates, reveal a critical bottleneck in adolescent education. While SC and ST participation indicators are relatively strong, the state lags badly in computer and internet access and in advanced facilities like science labs, constraining quality and future-readiness.​

Major Findings

  • West Bengal has about 93,715 schools (6.4% of India), with 79.3% at the primary level and 87.7% under government management, indicating a dense, public, primary-oriented system.​
  • Nearly half of India’s schools without enrolment are in West Bengal, and 38% are small (<50 students), pointing to serious efficiency and rationalisation issues.​
  • Total enrolment fell from 17.17 million in 2021–22 to 15.98 million in 2024–25 (about 6.9% decline), reflecting demographic change, migration, and possible shifts to private/non-recorded institutions.​
  • Gender parity is effectively achieved: girls’ share of total enrolment stays around 50%, and elementary GPI rose from 1.00 to 1.01, yet girls’ absolute enrolment also declined, and emerging vulnerabilities at higher classes remain.​
  • Elementary GER/NER remain high, but secondary GER collapsed from 88.2 to 46.1, and higher secondary NER fell to 29.1, signalling that more than half of age-appropriate adolescents are outside formal schooling at higher levels.​
  • SC and ST GERs are consistently above the state’s overall GER and the all-India averages at most stages, indicating that targeted schemes have improved enrolment for disadvantaged groups even as overall ratios have deteriorated.​
  • Primary dropout dropped sharply from 8.6% to 1.4%, and transition from primary to upper primary rose to about 99%, but secondary dropout increased to around 20%, making Grades 9–10 the weakest link.​
  • Overall retention from Grade 1 to 12 improved from 33.2% to 49.7%. Nevertheless, half the cohort still fails to complete higher secondary education, leaving the state far short of the NEP vision of universal school completion.​
  • Teacher numbers remained stable (around 5.8 lakh) while PTR improved at primary (27 to 21) and higher secondary (28 to 21), suggesting more favourable classroom conditions despite a slightly high overall PTR of about 29.​
  • Pre-primary provisioning through Anganwadi co-location is nearly universal (about 97–98% of primary schools). However, only about one-fourth of schools have formal pre-primary sections, limiting the implementation of structured ECCE as envisaged in the NEP’s 5+3+3+4 design.​
  • Basic infrastructure is strong: around 97% of schools have functional electricity and near-universal water and toilets, broadly matching or surpassing all-India averages.​
  • Digital and advanced facilities are significant gaps: only about one-fourth of schools have computers, and less than one-fifth have internet access, far below both national averages and those of states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu.​
  • CWSN-friendly toilets (about 30.8%) and integrated higher secondary science labs (about 39.2%) remain below national benchmarks, constraining inclusive and STEM education.​
  • Within the NEP 2020 phase-wise framework, West Bengal’s GERs are above all-India at all stages, but high secondary dropout and only about half-cohort retention to Class 12 show that access advantages are not translating into completion.​

CONTENTS

  • Introduction​
  • About the Article and Data Sources​
  • Review of Literature​
  • Schools and Access​
  • Enrolment and Equity​
  • Share of Girls’ Enrolment and GPI​
  • Enrolment Ratios, Dropout, Transition & Retention Rates
  • Enrolment Ratio (GER, NER & ASER)​
  • Dropout, Transition and Retention Rates: West Bengal​
  • Teachers, PTR & Training Status​
  • Pre-Primary Education​
  • School Infrastructure – Critical Facilities: 2024–25​
  • A Few Indicators as per NEP 2020 New Structure: 2024–25​
  • System Size and Coverage​
  • Performance Indicators Across Four Phases​
  • Facilities and Infrastructure​
  • Interpreting West Bengal’s Position​
  • Concluding Observations​
  • Major Strengths and Weaknesses​
  • Suggested Readings & Sources​
  • Highlights of UDISE+ Data as per NEP 2020 Structure, 2024–25: West Bengal (Annexe/Table)​

LIST OF TABLES

  • Table 1: Total Schools, by Level & Management: West Bengal vs. All-India 2024–25​
  • Table 2: Share of Enrolment by Levels of Education: West Bengal, 2024–25​
  • Table 3: Total Enrolment, Girls’ Share & GPI: West Bengal, 2021–22 & 2024–25​
  • Table 4: GER, NER & Age-specific Enrolment Ratio: West Bengal, 2021–22 to 2024–25​
  • Table 5: Annual Dropout Rate & Transition Rate: West Bengal, 2021–22 & 2024–25​
  • Table 6: Retention Rate by Stage and Gender, 2021–22 & 2024–25​
  • Table 7: Total Teachers, % Female Teachers, Pupil-Teacher Ratio & % Trained Teachers​
  • Table 8: % Primary Schools with Pre-Primary/AWC Section (All Management & Government), 2024–25​
  • Table 9: % Schools with Select Facility Indicators: UDISE+ 2024–25 (West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu & All-India)​
  • Table 10: Highlights of UDISE+ Data as per NEP 2020 Structure, 2024–25: All-India and West Bengal​

LIST OF GRAPHS/CHARTS

  • Percent Share of Schools by Level of Education, 2024–25: West Bengal vs All-India (Bar chart)​
  • West Bengal 2024–25: Share of Schools vs Enrolment by Level (Dual bar chart)​
  • GER & NER by Level of Education: West Bengal 2024–25 (Clustered bar chart)​
  • GER SC vs ST by Level: West Bengal 2024–25 (Horizontal bar chart)​
  • ASER by Level: West Bengal 2021–22 vs 2024–25 (Clustered bar chart)​
  • Dropout Rates by Level: West Bengal 2021–22 vs 2024–25 (Bar chart)​
  • Transition Rates by Stage: West Bengal 2021–22 vs 2024–25 (Bar chart)​
  • Pupil–Teacher Ratio by Level: West Bengal 2021–22 vs 2024–25 (Bar chart)​
  • Facilities %: West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, All-India 2024–25 (Clustered bar chart)​
  • West Bengal: % Schools with Key Facilities – UDISE+ 2024–25 (Bar+line chart)

Concluding Observations

West Bengal’s school education system, as revealed through successive UDISE+ analyses from 2021–22 to 2024–25, has made commendable strides in foundational access and gender parity but remains far from the aspirational benchmarks of 100% enrolment ratios and zero dropout rates required for universal school education by 2030 under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Sustainable Development Goal 4. While primary dropout has plummeted to near-zero levels and elementary retention strengthened, the unfinished agenda centers on catastrophic secondary-level attrition—with dropout rates hovering around 20% (higher than the national 11.5%)—a sharp collapse in secondary NER to below 50%, and persistently low higher secondary participation (NER 29%), compounded by declining overall enrolment (7% drop over three years) and severe infrastructural deficits in digital and advanced facilities.

These gaps highlight that universalisation remains elusive nationwide, as even top-performing state like Kerala achieve secondary NER/GERs in the 90s but not perfect 100; no Indian state reports flawless metrics, underscoring inherent data limitations in UDISE+—such as potential underreporting of dropouts through cohort tracking inconsistencies, migration effects, shifts to unrecognised private options, and methodological shifts post-2022 that affect comparability—meaning claimed “zero” dropouts in some contexts often mask hidden attrition rather than reflect absolute reality. For West Bengal specifically, the skewed infrastructure (nearly 80% primary-focused schools) creates progression bottlenecks, exacerbating adolescent disengagement amid socio-economic pressures, limited secondary access in rural/northern districts, and minimal digital readiness (only 18–24% schools with internet/computers). To bridge this toward 2030 universality, decentralised planning must prioritise rigorous, disaggregated data analysis at block and district levels—leveraging real-time UDISE+ dashboards alongside household surveys—to pinpoint hotspots of low transition (e.g., elementary-to-secondary ~92%), high small-school inefficiency (38%), and equity vulnerabilities for SC/ST/girls beyond elementary.

Targeted actions include rationalising small/low-enrolment schools through mergers and composite models, massive secondary/higher secondary expansion with vocational linkages, accelerated ICT and laboratory upgrades via Samagra Shiksha, community-driven retention campaigns addressing child labour/marriage, and annual outcome-linked funding tied to localised benchmarks—ensuring evidence-based interventions reverse enrolment decline and propel equitable, age-appropriate completion across all stages.

West Bengal’s school education system, as evidenced by UDISE+ data up to 2024–25, displays distinct strengths that provide a solid foundation for further progress, alongside persistent weaknesses that pose significant barriers to achieving universal school education by 2030.

Major strengths include near-universal foundational access and retention, exemplified by the dramatic reduction in primary dropout rates from 8.6% to 1.4%, near-perfect primary-to-upper primary transition (98.9%), and sustained elementary NER above 91%. Gender parity remains a standout achievement, with girls comprising over 50% of enrolment and a GPI of 1.01 at the elementary level, reflecting effective policies that have eliminated historical disparities. The overwhelmingly government-managed system (87.7% schools) ensures wide public provisioning, supported by high functional electricity coverage (97.1%) and a stable, increasingly feminised teaching workforce (44.6% female teachers) with improved pupil-teacher ratios at primary (21:1) and higher secondary (21:1) levels. Targeted interventions have also yielded resilient enrolment ratios for SC and ST communities across most stages, demonstrating inclusive outreach that cushions marginalised groups amid broader declines.

Major weaknesses, however, centre on severe progression bottlenecks beyond elementary education, most alarmingly the secondary dropout rate persisting at 20% and a catastrophic fall in secondary GER/NER to around 46%/44%, coupled with higher secondary NER stagnating at 29.1%. Overall enrolment has declined by nearly 7% in three years, signalling demographic shifts, migration, or loss of trust in public schooling. Infrastructural deficits are pronounced in digital integration—only 24.2% of schools have functional computers, and 18.6% have internet—far below national and southern state benchmarks, alongside inadequate integrated science laboratories (39.2%) and limited CWSN-friendly facilities. The heavily skewed structure toward primary schools (79.3%), a high proportion of small schools (38%), and pockets of zero-enrolment institutions (4.1%) highlight inefficiencies that strain resources and hinder seamless upward mobility.

These strengths offer leverage points for scaling retention models upward, while the weaknesses—particularly adolescent disengagement and digital/infrastructural lags—demand urgent, data-driven decentralised planning at district and block levels to rationalise schools, expand secondary capacity with vocational pathways, accelerate ICT rollout, and address localised socio-economic drivers of dropout, ensuring West Bengal transforms its strong elementary base into comprehensive universalisation by 2030.

Suggested Readings & Sources

Highlights of UDISE+ Data as per NEP 2020 Structure, 2024-25, West Bengal

School Education in West Bengal: Where do we stand? : Analysis of UDISE+ 2021-22 to 2024-25 Data by Prof. Arun C Mehta [PDF]

School-EDucation-in-West-Bengal-Analysis-based-on-UDISE-2024-25-Data

School-EDucation-in-West-Bengal-Analysis-based-on-UDISE-2024-25-Data.