India’s School Education Network Sees Gains in Access and Learning: NITI Aayog
- India’s school education system has recorded improvements in infrastructure, digital learning, and inclusion over the past decade, according to a new NITI Aayog report that also noted signs of recovery in foundational literacy and numeracy after the pandemic.
The report highlighted better availability of electricity, sanitation, computers, internet connectivity, and smart classrooms in schools, along with increased participation of girls and improved enrolment of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students across educational stages.
NITI Aayog on Wednesday released a policy report assessing the progress of India’s school education system over the past decade and proposing a roadmap to improve learning outcomes and quality across the country.
Titled School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement, the report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery and Chief Executive Officer Nidhi Chhibber.
The report presents a comprehensive review of India’s school education landscape, covering areas such as access and enrolment, infrastructure, equity and inclusion, digital integration, and learning outcomes across States and Union Territories.
According to the report, India’s school education system comprises 14.71 lakh schools catering to more than 24.69 crore students, making it the world’s largest school education network.
The assessment draws on data from UDISE+ 2024-25, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, NAS 2017 and 2021, and ASER 2024.
According to the report, these improvements have been supported by initiatives under the National Education Policy 2020, the NIPUN Bharat Mission, and the Samagra Shiksha.
At the same time, the report underlined the need for sustained efforts to ensure equitable and quality learning outcomes across regions and socio-economic groups.
The study identified 11 major systemic and academic challenges and proposed a policy roadmap comprising 13 recommendations.
Among the systemic reforms suggested are restructuring schools through composite school models, strengthening infrastructure, improving governance mechanisms, enhancing administrative capacity, rationalising teacher deployment, expanding teacher training, and promoting digital and broadcast-based learning. The report also stressed measures aimed at improving equity and inclusion.
Academic recommendations include reforms in pedagogy and assessment methods, strengthening foundational learning, promoting student wellbeing, expanding vocational education, improving early childhood care and education, and integrating Artificial Intelligence into classroom teaching practices.
The report further proposed 33 implementation pathways across short-, medium-, and long-term timelines, assigning responsibilities to central, State, and local authorities. It also suggested more than 125 measurable performance indicators to track progress.
