Education transformation in Jharkhand: Jharkhand achieves zero primary dropout rate; Secondary dropout rates decline impressively but teaching vacancies remain high

Ranchi: Jharkhand has effectively eliminated primary dropouts, with the rate crashing from 6.41% in 2014-15 to 0 in 2024-25, according to the recent Niti Aayog report on ‘School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement’.

The upper primary dropout rate also saw a sharp decline from 7.42% to 1.7%. The state also recorded a dramatic improvement in secondary dropout rates, which plummeted from 23.2% to 3.5%, making Jharkhand the fourth best performer in the country on this parameter in 2024-25.

The report also highlights a nuanced shift in enrolment. While the gross enrolment ratio (GER) at the primary level went down from 109.2% to 92.5%, the secondary level saw a healthy rise from 66.05% to 72% between 2014-15 and 2024-25. At the higher secondary level, however, Jharkhand remains ninth from bottom nationally with a GER of 48.6%, which is still nearly 10% growth over the last decade.

The report also noted a decline in the primary level GER for girls, which dropped from 111.68% to 93.1%. At the upper primary level, the GER dipped slightly from 89.56% to 85.3%. However, higher secondary enrolment for girls showed a positive trajectory, climbing from 36.72% to 50.9%.

The state also excelled in moving students through the system. The transition rate from primary to upper primary surged from 82.75% to 89.6%, the fourth highest behind Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, the transition from upper primary to secondary increased from 79.86% to 81.3%.

At the same time, NCERT’s ‘National Achievement Survey’ data revealed a decline in scores across all assessed grades. For grade 3, language scores fell from 344 in 2017 to 314 in 2021, while mathematics and environmental science (EVS) scores dropped from 327 to 298 and 325 to 299, respectively. Mathematics score for grade 5 fell from 321 to 276, while languages and EVS declined from 326 each to 303 and 278, respectively.

The academic decline may be linked to a shortage of teaching staff. In 2025-26, there are 99,565 vacancies, including 80,341 at the elementary level, 18,343 at secondary, and 881 at the senior secondary level. Jharkhand’s primary pupil-teacher ratio is 26:1 against the national average of 20:1, while at higher secondary level it stands at 47:1 compared with 23:1 nationally. At least 9,172 schools in Jharkhand are still run by a single teacher.
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