The Crossbill News Desk
Fresh data tabled by the Union Ministry of Education in the Lok Sabha has pointed to a significant decline in enrolment at the preparatory stage in Gujarat's government schools, particularly among girls and students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
According to figures reported by The New Indian Express, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for girls studying in Classes III to V in government schools dropped by 19.3 percentage points, from 95.8% to 76.5%. The decline was also reflected at the middle stage, where the GER for girls fell from 95.1% to 93.4%.
The data also indicated a substantial fall in enrolment among Scheduled Caste students. Their preparatory stage GER declined from 87.0% to 67.8%, while the middle stage GER fell from 86.5% to 83.1%.
Among Scheduled Tribe students, the reduction at the preparatory stage was similarly pronounced. The GER dropped from 96.6% to 78.0%, representing a decline of 18.6 percentage points. At the middle stage, the GER decreased from 100.5% to 98.5%.
A key trend emerging from the data is that enrolment levels for girls as well as SC and ST students improve considerably during the foundational stage but decline sharply once students reach the preparatory stage.
The figures suggest that the transition from the foundational years to Classes III to V has emerged as a critical stage where enrolment begins to weaken, indicating a potential area of concern for policymakers and education administrators.
The data, furnished by the Union Ministry of Education in the Lok Sabha on July 27, 2026, also shows that the number of government schools in Gujarat remained broadly stable over the period. The state had 34,699 government schools in 2021-22, which declined marginally to 34,597 in 2023-24 before increasing to 34,734 in 2025-26.
The latest figures are likely to renew attention on student retention in Gujarat's government school system, particularly among girls and socially disadvantaged communities, with the preparatory stage emerging as the point where the most significant drop in enrolment occurs.
According to figures reported by The New Indian Express, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for girls studying in Classes III to V in government schools dropped by 19.3 percentage points, from 95.8% to 76.5%. The decline was also reflected at the middle stage, where the GER for girls fell from 95.1% to 93.4%.
The data also indicated a substantial fall in enrolment among Scheduled Caste students. Their preparatory stage GER declined from 87.0% to 67.8%, while the middle stage GER fell from 86.5% to 83.1%.
Among Scheduled Tribe students, the reduction at the preparatory stage was similarly pronounced. The GER dropped from 96.6% to 78.0%, representing a decline of 18.6 percentage points. At the middle stage, the GER decreased from 100.5% to 98.5%.
A key trend emerging from the data is that enrolment levels for girls as well as SC and ST students improve considerably during the foundational stage but decline sharply once students reach the preparatory stage.
The figures suggest that the transition from the foundational years to Classes III to V has emerged as a critical stage where enrolment begins to weaken, indicating a potential area of concern for policymakers and education administrators.
The data, furnished by the Union Ministry of Education in the Lok Sabha on July 27, 2026, also shows that the number of government schools in Gujarat remained broadly stable over the period. The state had 34,699 government schools in 2021-22, which declined marginally to 34,597 in 2023-24 before increasing to 34,734 in 2025-26.
The latest figures are likely to renew attention on student retention in Gujarat's government school system, particularly among girls and socially disadvantaged communities, with the preparatory stage emerging as the point where the most significant drop in enrolment occurs.
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