Chart showing school infrastructure availability and teacher profile indicators for Indian schools in 2024-25.

Structural Reversal in Indian School Education: Advanced vs. Developing States, Insights from UDISE+ 2024-25

Introduction

The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), managed by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, is the official annual repository of school-level data. The 2024-25 dataset covers 1,471,473 schools, 10,122,420 teachers, and approximately 250 million enrolled students across four stages:

Primary (Classes 1–5)
Upper Primary (Classes 6–8)
Secondary (Classes 9–10)
Higher Secondary (Classes 11–12)

This analysis, drawn exclusively from UDISE+ 2024-25, compares national and state-level percentage distributions. Advanced states (e.g., Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh) show fewer primary schools, while developing states (e.g., Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan) remain primary-heavy. These divergent structures reflect historical policy, infrastructure maturity, and demographic pressures—with direct implications for NEP 2020 and Samagra Shiksha.

Are BIMARU states still BIMARU? [watch this space]

All-India Percentage Distribution (2024-25)

Indicator	Primary	Upper Primary	Secondary	Higher Secondary	Total
Schools	49.65% (730,518)	29.50% (434,013)	9.70% (142,749)	11.16% (164,193)	1,471,473
Teachers	23.40%	28.58%	15.85%	32.18%	10,122,420
Enrolment	44.82%	27.35%	15.96%	11.87%	232.89 Million

1. All-India Distribution: Schools, Teachers, Enrolment

Nearly half of all schools (49.65% or 730,518) are primary-only—a legacy of the Right to Education Act’s neighborhood mandate. These absorb 44.82% of enrolment (104.38 million children) but only 23.40% of teachers, resulting in a PTR of 44:1—more than double the NEP 2020 benchmark.

In contrast, higher secondary schools (11.16% of institutions, 11.87% enrolment) command 32.18% of all teachers, delivering a PTR of 8.5:1—a ratio typical of elite private academies.

Primary schools average 3.24 teachers each; higher secondary average nearly 20. Upper primary and secondary stages fall in between (PTRs 22:1 and 23:1). Enrolment tapers sharply: 39% drop from primary to upper primary, another 25% from secondary to higher secondary.

Gender parity stands at 48.3% nationally; female teachers form 54.2% of the workforce but are concentrated in understaffed primary schools. Infrastructure gains are real—63.5% of schools have internet—but cannot offset one teacher managing 44 children across five grades.

Call to action: Shift ~1.5 million teachers downward, enforce minimum staffing norms, and redirect budgets from senior secondary embellishments to primary empowerment.

2. State-Wise Structural Distribution: Advanced vs. Developing States

State	Schools (%)				Teachers (%)				Enrolment (%)
State	P	UP	S	HS	P	UP	S	HS	P	UP	S	HS
Kerala	40.36	28.00	12.27	19.37	15.81	20.58	14.53	49.07	39.76	26.54	17.69	16.00
Tamil Nadu	59.19	15.96	9.49	15.37	21.32	12.40	12.26	54.02	39.96	26.88	17.67	15.49
Bihar	41.38	45.44	1.40	11.78	21.48	54.80	2.06	21.67	49.44	27.40	13.33	9.82
Uttar Pradesh	47.08	26.91	13.86	12.15	35.98	34.35	5.43	24.55	46.81	27.24	13.79	12.16
Madhya Pradesh	49.44	35.34	6.71	8.50	19.11	37.07	11.77	32.05	45.93	28.58	15.50	9.98
Rajasthan	34.60	31.98	6.60	26.81	10.52	28.78	8.87	52.83	43.84	27.35	16.06	12.74

The Progression Model: Kerala & Tamil Nadu

Kerala: 49.07% of teachers in HS (PTR ~6:1) despite only 19.37% schools. Primary: 15.81% teachers for 39.76% enrolment (PTR ~45:1). Enrolment taper least steep → near-universal transition.
Tamil Nadu: 54.02% teachers in HS (PTR ~5:1). Primary: 59.19% schools but only 21.32% teachers (PTR ~40:1). Dual-track: mass access + elite pipeline.

Key Enabler: 60–80% composite schools (I–XII) eliminate transition friction.

The Access Trap: Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan

Bihar: 86.82% P+UP schools, secondary just 1.40% (PTR ~110:1). HS elite layer (PTR ~20:1).
UP, MP, Rajasthan: Secondary teacher share <12%, PTR 40–110:1. HS teacher bloat (21–53%) for ~10–12% enrolment.

Standalone primaries (80–90%) + political resistance to mergers = dropout cliffs.

Comparative Snapshot

Dimension	Advanced (KL, TN)	Developing (BR, UP, MP, RJ)
Primary Schools	40–59%	34–49%
Primary Teachers	15–21%	10–36%
Primary PTR	~40–45:1	~40–50:1
HS Teachers	49–54%	21–53%
HS PTR	5–6:1	8–20:1
Secondary Schools	9–12%	1.4–13.8%
Secondary Teachers	12–14%	2–12%
Secondary PTR	~25–30:1	40–110:1
Enrolment Taper	Gradual (40% → 16%)	Steep (43–49% → 10–12%)

Policy Imperative: Mandate ≥15% schools and ≥18% teachers at secondary in low-performing states by 2030 via HS teacher reallocation and composite school mandates.

3. Policy Drivers of Structural Reversal

Process	Mechanism	Advanced States	Developing States
Merging	Small primaries → composite	↓ Primary %, ↑ HS % (Kerala: ~1,200 mergers)	Minimal (Bihar: political resistance)
Upgradation	UP → Sec → HS via Samagra Shiksha	Balanced deployment	Stagnation (Bihar: 1.4% secondary)
Closure	Non-viable schools closed	Efficient infrastructure	Rare → primary sprawl

4. Outcome Indicators: GER, Dropout & Transition

Secondary stage is the critical choke point:

National GER: 78.7% (NER 47.5%)
Dropout: 11.5% (~4.3 million annually)
Transition UP→Sec: 86.6%
Retention I–X: 62.9%

Key National Indicators (2024-25)

Indicator	Primary	Upper Primary	Secondary	Higher Secondary
GER	90.9%	90.3%	78.7%	58.4%
NER	76.4%	67.3%	47.5%	35.8%
Dropout	0.3%	3.5%	11.5%	—
Transition	92.2% (to UP)	86.6% (to Sec)	75.1% (to HS)	—
Retention	92.4 (I–5)	82.8 (I–8)	62.9 (I–10)	47.2 (I–12)

State-Wise Outcomes Indicators

State	GER Sec	Dropout Sec	Transition UP→Sec	Retention I–X
Kerala	98.7%	4.8%	99.6%	99.5%
Tamil Nadu	95.5%	8.5%	96.6%	89.3%
Rajasthan	82.2%	7.7%	90.2%	55.9%
Madhya Pradesh	68.2%	16.8%	77.8%	53.7%
Uttar Pradesh	64.3%	7.0%	78.1%	49.6%
Bihar	51.1%	6.9%	66.7%	35.9%
All India	78.7%	11.5%	86.6%	62.9%

BIMARU states (91 of 112 Aspirational Districts) drag national averages. Retention gap: 45.6 pp between advanced and BIMARU.

5. Why Advanced States Succeed: The Composite School Model

Feature	Advanced States	Developing States
School Type	60–80% composite	80–90% standalone primary
Teacher Specialization	High (20–50% in HS)	Low (>75% in elementary)
Transition Friction	Minimal (same campus)	High (school change)
Infrastructure Use	Optimal	Underutilized

Composite schools are the structural backbone of progression.

Concluding Observations

UDISE+ 2024-25 reveals a structurally inverted system: primary overload (PTR 44:1), secondary vacuum, and elite higher secondary enclaves (PTR 8.5:1). Advanced states build ladders; developing states build funnels.

Recommendations

Mandate ≥15% schools & ≥18% teachers at secondary in BIMARU states by 2030.
Ring-fence Aspirational Districts with performance-linked grants.
Shift 10–15% teachers from HS to primary/secondary; cap PTR at 25:1 and 20:1.
Incentivize composite schools nationwide; reduce standalone primaries by 20% in high-sprawl states.

Until a child in Bihar has the same chance of reaching Class X as one in Kerala, India’s education system will remain geographically fractured and nationally stunted.