NewsIMTS8.5% of Tamil Nadu students dropped out at secondary level in 2024-25, up from 7.7% last year, according to the UDISE+ report by the Union Ministry of Education. Primary and upper primary dropout rates reached 2.7% and 2.8% respectively, the highest in five years. Meanwhile, neighboring states reported much lower rates – Kerala (0.8%), Karnataka (0%), Andhra Pradesh (1.4%), and Telangana (0%). Government school enrollment declined with Class 1 admissions falling to 2.7 lakh students, while private schools saw enrollment rise to 5.62 lakh. Tamil Nadu currently has 57,935 schools serving 1.25 crore students with 5.49 lakh teachers. The teacher-student ratio improved slightly from 24:1 to 23:1, though the number of single-teacher schools increased to 3,671, affecting 95,000 students. (Updated 30 Oct 2025, 14:48 IST; source: link)
Tamil Nadu's Secondary School Dropout Rate Hits 8.5%
Tamil Nadu is facing its highest school dropout rate in five years, with 8.5% of students leaving secondary education in 2024-25. This marks an increase from 7.7% in the previous year, according to the UDISE+ report released by the Union Ministry of Education. The problem extends to younger students too, with primary and upper primary levels reaching dropout rates of 2.7% and 2.8% respectively. These figures are particularly concerning when compared to neighboring states – Kerala reported just 0.8%, Karnataka had 0%, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana recorded 1.4% and 0% respectively.
Government School Enrollment Declines as Private Schools Grow
As dropout rates increase, Tamil Nadu is also seeing a shift in school enrollment patterns. Government schools are experiencing a decline, with Class 1 admissions falling to 2.7 lakh students. Meanwhile, private schools are gaining ground with enrollment rising to 5.62 lakh students. Currently, Tamil Nadu has 57,935 schools serving 1.25 crore students with 5.49 lakh teachers. While the teacher-student ratio has slightly improved from 24:1 to 23:1, the state faces another challenge with 3,671 schools having only one teacher each, affecting the education of approximately 95,000 students.
Key Points
- 8.5% of Tamil Nadu students dropped out at secondary level in 2024-25, up from 7.7% last year, according to the UDISE+ report by the Union Ministry of Education.
- Primary and upper primary dropout rates reached 2.7% and 2.8% respectively, the highest in five years.
- Meanwhile, neighboring states reported much lower rates – Kerala (0.8%), Karnataka (0%), Andhra Pradesh (1.4%), and Telangana (0%).
