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While girls were denied schooling due to social obstacles, boys faced initial entry issues in the workforce many times due to poor financial condition of the house, for other reasons
The dropout rate for boys at primary level is 0.8 percent compared to almost no dropout for girls in 2024–25. (PTI)
For the first time, boys in India are exiting school at higher rates than girls at all levels-the upper primary and secondary-one decades reflects the trend lasting where girls were more weak to leave education early.
The dropout rate reflects the percentage of students who leave school before completing a level – priority (classes 1-5); Upper primary (class 6-8); And secondary (class 9-10).
According to data from the 2024-25 Education Ministry analyzed by AyraNews24x7, girls remained in the school for a long time despite constant social obstacles. However, the boys began to get out of the primary platform, with the difference at the upper levels wide.
The dropout rate for boys at primary level is 0.8 percent compared to almost no dropout for girls in 2024–25. At the upper primary level, the dropout rate for boys increases to 4.1 percent, while for girls 2.9 percent lower.
At the secondary level, the dropout rate has increased significantly, with 13.3 percent of boys leave school before completion, compared to 9.6 percent of girls.
In 2024-25, the total average dropout rates at three levels of school education increased from 0.3 percent to the primary level to 3.5 percent at the upper primary level and finally 11.5 percent at the secondary level.
The numbers from 2024–25 look more promising in light that in both 2022–23 and 2023–24, the dropout rate of girls was higher for upper primary.
While girls were denied schooling due to many social obstacles, boys faced early entry issues in the workforce due to poor financial condition of the house, for other reasons.
The dropout rate declined at all levels between 2022–23 and 2024–25, but there are challenges.
Integrated data for Education Plus (UDISE+) for the integrated district information system of education department and literacy, shows that the dropout rate in each stage grows proportional to each stage.
In states and union regions, there were only a few examples where the dropout rate of girls was higher than boys. Lakshadweep was the only part of the country where girls (5 percent) had a high dropout rate at a secondary level compared to boys (3.2 percent).
While any state or center area did not have a decline rate of girls at primary level compared to boys at the primary level, there are four states where the pattern is otherwise for upper primary level.
Only in Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, girls leave more than boys on upper primary. Nevertheless, the difference is under a percentage point.
Fall in enrollment under boys’ leadership
Boys in India have also reported a decline in enrollment, extending the country’s total enrollment between 2022-23 and 2024-25, showing data. In contrast, the enrollment of girls remains relatively stable.
The total enrollment in India has fallen to about 50 lakhs, from 25.2 crore to 2024-25 in 2022-23 to 24.7 crore.
The enrollment of boys has exceeded 33 lakhs- In 202-23, from 13.09 crore to 2024-25 from 12.76 crore. For girls, the decline was about half-from 12.09 crore in 202-23 to 12.09 crore in 2024-25 to 11.93 crore.
While the boys’ enrollment is on a steady decline, the girls increased by about 33,000 between 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Girls now range from 48.04 percent to 48.04 percent to 48.33 percent in 2022-23 to 48.04 percent, as shown in graphics.
Girls are better in retention
The retention rate for girls crosses boys at every stage. Retention rate at levels declined from 92.4 percent to 82.8 percent at primary level and 62.9 percent at secondary level, as shown in the graph.
The retention rate is the percentage of students who continue their education from the beginning of a level to its completion – primary (class 1 to class 5); Primary (class 1 to class 8); Secondary (class 1 to class 10); And higher secondary (class 1 to class 12).
In terms of gender, data from the Ministry of Education suggests that in 2024–25, about 94 percent of girls are enrolled in primary level vs. 92 percent of boys. At the primary level, it was 84 percent of girls compared to 82 percent of boys.
At the secondary level, 62 percent of girls were nominated as compared to 62 percent of boys, which dropped 50 percent girls at higher secondary level than 45 percent of boys.
Ensuring universal access to education at all levels by 2030 is one of the primary goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Although they can look like marginal reforms, they help to pursue the purpose for a society where more women can participate through education.
However, now at a high risk of leaving the school with boys early, policy makers face a dual challenge of supporting both sexes to meet 2030 universal education goals.
Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and includes the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He has about seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived …Read more
Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and includes the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He has about seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived … Read more
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