Over 98 Per Cent Schooling Access Achieved in Jammu Kashmir: Govt | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday said the school education system in the Union Territory has seen significant reforms in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with emphasis on improving access, inclusivity and educational standards.

The government said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a sharp rise in literacy, increasing from 11.03 per cent in 1961 to 68.74 per cent in 2011, with school enrolment figures continuing to grow steadily.

Official figures show that the Union Territory has 24,137 schools, comprising 18,724 government institutions and 5,413 managed by other agencies. Student enrolment from pre-primary to Class XII crossed 26.17 lakh in the 2024–25 academic year.

The government said gender inclusion has strengthened, with the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of girls exceeding the overall averages across levels. In 2024–25, GER of girls stood at 114.5 at the primary level, 80.0 at upper primary and 67.5 at the secondary level, reflecting the impact of initiatives such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

The government said school dropout rates have fallen markedly, with primary-level dropouts at 1.5 per cent, upper primary at 3.2 per cent and secondary at 12.9 per cent.

It said access to education has expanded substantially, with more than 98 per cent coverage across all levels. Basic infrastructure in schools has also improved, including girls’ toilets in 90.84 per cent of schools, boys’ toilets in 88.49 per cent, libraries in 75.10 per cent, electricity in 91.44 per cent, computers in 39 per cent and internet connectivity in 49 per cent, though strengthening digital facilities remains a priority.

Transition rates have also shown strong gains, with 94.8 per cent of students moving from primary to upper primary, 90.7 per cent from elementary to secondary and 72.9 per cent from secondary to higher secondary. The Gross Access Ratio continues to remain above 98 per cent at all stages, the government said.

Flagship initiatives such as Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, PM POSHAN, PM-SHRI and ULLAS were cited as key contributors to improvements in the education sector. Around 1.85 lakh children are now enrolled in government-run pre-primary classes.

The government said vocational education has been rolled out in 1,350 schools, benefiting about 1.54 lakh students.

To improve monitoring and learning outcomes, the Vidya Samiksha Kendra has been set up, featuring AI-based chatbots and digital studios.

According to the government, 3,008 ICT and computer-assisted learning labs have already been established, while work is underway to set up another 2,036 ICT labs and 4,272 smart classrooms.

On infrastructure development, it said 1,766 school-related works were completed during 2024–25, while 946 works were completed in 2025–26 up to November. Kindergarten education has been expanded with the support of 13,804 AAYAs.

It added that 396 schools have been approved for upgradation under the PM-SHRI scheme and 746 school complexes have been created to optimise resources in line with NEP 2020.

To further widen access to education, the government said it is launching JK e-Pathshala, a free television channel that will broadcast curriculum-based lessons in local languages, especially for students in remote and far-flung areas.