Teachers cross one crore mark for first time, dropout rates decline: Education Ministry's UDISE+ report

New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): India's total number of school teachers has crossed the one crore mark for the first time in any academic year, according to the Ministry of Education's 2024-25 Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report released on Thursday.
"The total number of teachers has increased to 1,01,22,420 in 2024-25, compared to 98,07,600 in 2023-24 and 94,83,294 in 2022-23," the Ministry said, calling it a "significant achievement in the history of school education in India."
The Ministry said the expansion is a "critical step toward improving student-teacher ratios, ensuring quality education, and addressing regional disparities in teacher availability."
The report highlighted a steady fall in dropout rates across levels. At the preparatory stage, the rate dropped to 2.3% in 2024-25 from 3.7% the previous year; at the middle stage, it declined from 5.2% to 3.5%; and at the secondary level, from 10.9% to 8.2%.
The UDISE+ is the Ministry of Education's flagship real-time data collection system on school education, launched in 2018-19. It covers enrolment, teachers, infrastructure, and learning indicators across nearly 15 lakh schools, and is used by policymakers to track progress and plan interventions.
Student retention rates improved across all stages: 98.9% at the foundational level (up from 98%), 92.4% at the preparatory level (up from 85.4%), 82.8% at the middle level (up from 78%), and 47.2% at the secondary level (up from 45.6%). The Ministry said the rise at the secondary level was partly due to the increase in schools offering secondary education.
The Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) has improved to 10 at the foundational stage, 13 at the preparatory stage, 17 at the middle stage, and 21 at the secondary stage, better than the National Education Policy's recommended ratio of 30:1. The Ministry said this will "facilitate more individualised attention and stronger interaction between teachers and students."
The report also noted a rise in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) -- from 89.5% to 90.3% at the middle level, and from 66.5% to 68.5% at the secondary level -- signalling broader access to education. Transition rates also improved: from foundational to preparatory (98.6%), preparatory to middle (92.2%), and middle to secondary (86.6%).
The number of single-teacher schools dropped by 6% in 2024-25 to 1,04,125, while schools with zero enrolment fell by 38% to 7,993. The Ministry described this as a "positive sign" reflecting better rationalisation of teachers and resources.
The report recorded a jump in digital infrastructure: 64.7% of schools now have computer access (up from 57.2% last year), and 63.5% have internet facilities (up from 53.9%).
Basic facilities have also improved: 93.6% of schools now have electricity, 99.3% have access to drinking water, 97.3% have girls' toilets, 96.2% have boys' toilets, and 95.9% have handwashing facilities. Nearly 55% of schools are equipped with ramps and handrails, a move towards inclusive education.
Playground access is available in 83% of schools, libraries in 89.5%, and rainwater harvesting facilities in 29.4%.
Releasing the report, the Ministry said the 2024-25 findings "reflect the success of initiatives aimed at improving teacher strength, reducing dropouts, enhancing infrastructure, and ensuring more inclusive and equitable education." (ANI)