Tamil Nadu has recorded a significant rise in school dropout rates across primary (Classes 1–5), upper primary (6–8), and secondary (9–10) levels for the academic year 2024–25, according to the latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data released by the Union Ministry of Education.
The state, long regarded as a strong performer in school retention, has seen its primary and upper primary dropout rates increase from 0% last year to 2.7% and 2.8% respectively – the highest levels in five years. The secondary dropout rate has also risen from 7.7% in 2023–24 to 8.5% this year.
At the national level, Tamil Nadu now ranks ninth from the bottom in primary education outcomes. Kerala recorded a dropout rate of 0.8%, while Karnataka and Telangana reported 0%, and Andhra Pradesh 1.4%. The all-India average stands at 0.3% for primary, 3.5% for upper primary, and 11.5% for secondary levels.
Education officials have said they will examine the data before issuing an official response. However, the findings have triggered concern among educators and parents across the state.
The UDISE+ report also points to a shift in enrolment trends, showing a decline in admissions to government and aided schools alongside a rise in private school enrolments. Class 1 enrolment in government schools fell from 2.8 lakh in 2023–24 to 2.7 lakh this year, while aided schools saw numbers drop from 97,692 to 91,694. In contrast, private schools saw admissions rise from 5.17 lakh to 5.62 lakh.
Tamil Nadu currently has 57,935 schools catering to about 1.25 crore students, with 5.49 lakh teachers employed. The pupil–teacher ratio has improved slightly, from 24 to 23, but the number of single-teacher schools has risen sharply from 2,758 last year to 3,671 this year, covering over 95,000 students.
தமிழகப் பள்ளி மாணவர்கள் இடைநிற்றல் சதவீதம், கடந்த ஆண்டுகளை விட மிகவும் அதிகரித்திருப்பதாக, மத்திய கல்வித் துறை அமைச்சகம் UDISE+ அறிக்கை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. கல்வித்துறையில் தமிழகத்தை மிகவும் பின்தங்கிய நிலைக்குத் தள்ளியுள்ளது இந்த திமுக அரசு.
2020-21ல் தொடக்கப்பள்ளிகளில் 0.6…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 30, 2025
While 98% of government schools have functional toilets, activists say infrastructure alone cannot reduce dropouts. They cite socioeconomic pressures, the lingering impact of the pandemic, child labour, child marriage, and migration as contributing factors forcing students, especially girls, to leave school.
Critics have linked the data to a broader decline in the state’s public education system. They allege that government schools face severe neglect, with incidents of classes being held under trees and poorly constructed buildings collapsing in several districts, including that of the School Education Minister.
They also point out that the number of single-teacher schools has reached alarming levels and that frequent closures for government publicity events disrupt learning. Meanwhile, private schools reportedly offer better facilities and trilingual education options, attracting more parents.
As of 2024–25, 2.39 lakh students enrolled in Class 1 across government schools, compared to nearly 5.26 lakh in private institutions.
This report comes at a time when the state of education, the quality of schools in Dravidian Model Tamil Nadu have hit a rock bottom, pushing it even further below.
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