Education Report 2025-26: Fewer students per teacher—key highlights of the UDISE+ 2025-26 report

UDISE+ 2025-26 Report: The Ministry of Education has released the UDISE+ 2025-26 report. Find out how the number of teachers in the country’s schools has increased, dropout rates have declined, and digital facilities have improved.

The Union Ministry of Education has released the UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) 2025-26 report concerning schools across the country. This report presents the most comprehensive official picture of the status of government and private schools in India. It assesses several crucial aspects, such as student enrollment, teacher availability, basic school infrastructure, digital education, dropout rates, pupil-teacher ratios, and girls’ participation.

According to the report, improvements have been observed in several areas of school education over the past few years. However, there are still areas that require further attention.

Increase in teachers; students to receive more attention

The report indicates a steady rise in the number of teachers across the country. The number of teachers grew from 94.83 lakh in 2022-23 to over 1.02 crore (1,02,73,020) in 2025-26. This represents an increase of approximately 8.3 percent over three years. Simply put, each teacher will now be responsible for fewer students than before, allowing for greater focus on the children’s studies.

Fewer students per teacher leads to better learning outcomes

The report also highlights an improvement in the Pupil-Teacher Ratio. At the foundational stage, there is now an average of 10 students per teacher.

12 students at the preparatory stage
17 students at the middle stage
21 students at the secondary stage
The National Education Policy (NEP) recommends a maximum of 30 students per teacher. Current figures surpass this target.

Decline in the number of school dropouts

According to the report, the number of children dropping out of school has decreased. The dropout rate at the Preparatory level fell from 2.3% to 1.8%. At the Secondary level, it dropped from 8.2% to 7%. However, a marginal increase was recorded at the Middle level, where the rate rose from 3.5% to 3.6%. This indicates that more children are continuing their education compared to the past.

More children now completing their education

The report indicates an improvement in student retention rates. At the Middle level, the rate rose from 82.8% to 83.7%. The most significant improvement was observed at the Secondary level, where retention increased from 47.2% to 51.9%. The government attributes this to the increased number of secondary-level schools, which has provided more children with the opportunity to pursue further education.

Increased enrollment in secondary classes

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the Secondary level has also risen, increasing from 68.5% to 71.7%. This means that more children are reaching the secondary level and continuing their studies than before. There has been an increase in the number of children progressing from one grade to the next; according to the report, more children are now advancing to the next grade without dropping out.

• Transition rate from Foundational to Preparatory level: Increased from 98.6% to 99.2%
• From Preparatory to Middle level: Increased from 92.2% to 93.8%
• From Middle to Secondary level: Increased from 86.6% to 88.3%

Reduction in single-teacher schools

• The number of schools in the country with only one teacher has also decreased.
• The number of single-teacher schools fell from 104,125 to 100,843. The number of schools with zero enrollment dropped from 7,993 to 5,663.

Increased digital facilities in schools

• Computers are now available in 69.9% of schools; last year, this figure stood at 64.7%.
• 67.4% of schools have internet access, up from 63.5% the previous year.
• This is expected to boost online learning, smart classrooms, and digital education.
• Improvements in amenities like electricity, water, and toilets

According to the report, most schools now have basic facilities:

• 95% of schools have electricity.
• 99.5% of schools have drinking water available.
• 98.5% of schools have toilets for girls.
• 97.2% of schools have toilets for boys.
• 96.9% of schools have hand-washing facilities.
• 90.5% of schools have a library.

However, the percentage of schools with playgrounds has declined from 83% to 81.9%, which could be considered a matter of concern.

Enhanced facilities for students with disabilities

The number of schools equipped with ramps and handrails for students with disabilities has also increased. Ramps and handrails are now available in 58.2% of schools, compared to 54.9% last year. Participation of female teachers and girl students has risen. According to the report, the number of female teachers in schools is steadily increasing; women now make up 54.9% of the teaching staff, up from 54.2% the previous year. Meanwhile, enrollment of girl students has also seen a slight increase, reaching 48.4% compared to 48.3% last year.

What does the full report say?

The UDISE+ 2025-26 report indicates that the landscape of school education in the country has improved in several respects. The number of teachers has increased, the student-teacher ratio has improved (reducing the burden on individual teachers), the dropout rate has declined, and there have been advancements in digital and basic infrastructure. However, further effort is required in areas such as the provision of facilities like playgrounds and the retention of students at certain levels. Overall, the report presents a positive picture of improvements within the education system.