The Union Ministry of Education on Tuesday released the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) Report 2025-26, highlighting improvements across several key indicators of school education, including teacher strength, student retention, enrolment, infrastructure, digital access and gender representation.
The report shows that the number of teachers has continued to rise steadily over the past four academic years, while dropout rates have declined and student retention has improved at the middle and secondary levels. Schools have also recorded gains in internet and computer access, alongside improvements in basic infrastructure.
Here are the 10 key takeaways from the report:
1. Teacher strength crosses 1.02 crore
The teaching workforce increased by 8.3% compared with 2022-23, reaching 1,02,73,020 in 2025-26 from 94,83,294 in 2022-23. The number stood at 98,07,600 in 2023-24 and 1,01,22,420 in 2024-25.
2. Pupil-teacher ratio improves across all stages
The Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) now stands at 10 at the foundational level, 12 at the preparatory level, 17 at the middle level and 21 at the secondary level, significantly better than the National Education Policy's recommended ratio of 30:1.
According to the ministry, the improved PTR enables more personalised attention and stronger teacher-student interaction.
3. Dropout rates continue to decline
The preparatory-level dropout rate fell from 2.3% in 2024-25 to 1.8% in 2025-26, while the secondary-level dropout rate declined from 8.2% to 7.0%.
The report said the decline reflects improved student retention and the impact of initiatives aimed at keeping children in school.
4. Student retention improves
Retention at the middle level increased from 82.8% to 83.7%, while secondary-level retention rose sharply from 47.2% to 51.9%.
The ministry attributed the improvement partly to the expansion of schools offering secondary education, making access easier for students.
5. Secondary enrolment records a jump
The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the secondary level increased from 68.5% in 2024-25 to 71.7% in 2025-26, indicating higher participation in secondary education.
6. More students are moving to the next stage
Transition rates improved across all major stages of schooling.
The transition from foundational to preparatory education rose from 98.6% to 99.2%, preparatory to middle from 92.2% to 93.8%, and middle to secondary from 86.6% to 88.3%.
7. Fewer schools have a single teacher or no students
Single-teacher schools declined from 1,04,125 in 2024-25 to 1,00,843 in 2025-26.
Schools with zero enrolment dropped by nearly 29%, falling from 7,993 to 5,663 during the same period.
8. Digital infrastructure continues to improve
- Schools with computer access increased from 64.7% in 2024-25 to 69.9% in 2025-26.
- Internet connectivity also improved, with the share of schools having internet access rising from 63.5% to 67.4%.
9. Basic school infrastructure sees further gains
- The report showed improvements in electricity, drinking water, toilets, handwashing facilities, libraries and ramps with handrails.
- Electricity reached 95% of schools, drinking water 99.5%, girls' toilets 98.5%, boys' toilets 97.2%, handwashing facilities 96.9% and libraries 90.5%.
- Schools equipped with ramps and handrails increased to 58.2%, improving accessibility for students with disabilities.
10. Female representation continues to rise
- Women now account for 54.9% of the teaching workforce, up from 54.2% in 2024-25.
- Girls' enrolment also increased marginally to 48.4%, continuing the gradual upward trend recorded over the past four academic years.
The ministry said the increase in female teachers and girls' enrolment reflects continued efforts to improve gender equity and create more inclusive learning environments across schools.