School Dropout Rate in Jammu Kashmir at 12.9 Per Cent at Secondary Level: Govt Data for 2024-25 | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir recorded a total dropout rate of 12.9 percent at the secondary school level (classes 9–10) in the 2024-25 academic year, according to data presented in the Rajya Sabha in response to an unstarred question by Dr Meenakshi Jain.

State-wise figures indicate that dropout rates in Jammu and Kashmir were 1.5 percent at the primary level (classes 1–5) and 3.2 percent at the upper primary level (classes 6–8). Gender-wise, boys had slightly higher dropout rates than girls at the primary level (1.9 percent vs 1.1 percent), while at upper primary and secondary levels, the gap was narrower, with boys at 3.1 percent and 13.6 percent, and girls at 3.2 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively.

While the national dropout rate for secondary school students stood at 11.5 percent, Jammu and Kashmir’s rate of 12.9 percent places it slightly above the national average, highlighting the need for targeted interventions at the secondary education stage. At the upper primary level, the Union Territory’s dropout rate of 3.2 percent was lower than India’s average of 3.5 percent, and primary level dropouts were at 1.5 percent, compared with the national average of 0.3 percent.

Education experts note that dropout rates tend to increase significantly at the secondary level due to factors including economic constraints, the need for adolescent children to support family income, and gaps in infrastructure and access to schools in remote areas.

The Ministry of Education, through the UDISE+ database, continues to track enrolment and dropout trends, aiming to strengthen retention policies, especially for secondary school students in Union Territories like Jammu and Kashmir. Initiatives under the Samagra Shiksha scheme and other state-level programs focus on improving attendance, providing mid-day meals, scholarships, and infrastructure support to curb dropouts.

Overall, while Jammu and Kashmir shows relatively low dropout rates at primary and upper primary levels, the increase at secondary level remains a concern for policymakers and educators, highlighting the need for sustained interventions to ensure children complete schooling.