Bengaluru: The number of private schools in the state declined by 4% in the last five years, as against the national average of 0.34%. Meanwhile, the number of govt schools dipped by 2%, on par with the national trend.The five-year data, from 2020-21 to 2024-25, is based on the Unified District Information System of Education (UDISE) and was produced in the Rajya Sabha following a question by Kerala MP John Brittas.
Across the country, West Bengal lost 29% of its private schools in this period. Punjab saw a dip of 15% and Madhya Pradesh 10%. In south India, Kerala saw a dip of 7% in its private schools, Maharashtra 5%, and Tamil Nadu and Karnataka 4% each.Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Bihar saw a 42% jump in its private schools. Tripura (35%), Arunachal Pradesh (15%), and Jharkhand (10%) were states with the major increases in private schools.In the govt sector, Bihar saw a 1% increase in schools, while Arunachal Pradesh saw a 16% decline. Jharkhand also saw a minor dip in govt schools.Karnataka, meanwhile, saw 2% of govt schools shutting down, which was the same as the national average. The maximum reduction in govt schools occurred in Lakshadweep (20%), Jammu Kashmir (19%), Arunachal Pradesh (16%), and Ladakh (11%).Among the southern states, Kerala saw a 4% decrease in govt schools and Tamil Nadu had a marginal increase in govt schools (0.1%).In Karnataka, the overall number of schools dipped. Department of School Education and Literacy officials maintained that no schools were closed by the state, but the decrease in numbers could refer to zero-enrolment schools.The private schools association said the dip was attributed to a fall in the birth rate in the state. The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka said there were various factors. “One is the dipping birth rate. Enrolments are dropping across schools. Even the schools that are most in demand are witnessing a drop in the number of applications reaching them. That is because of the decreasing population, thus resulting in a huge demand-supply gap,” said D Shashi Kumar, secretary.“Moreover, after Covid, several schools shut down. The majority are budget schools that cannot sustain themselves with the increasing operational costs. The cascading effect of Covid was still felt in 2023 and 2024. Several schools continue to be up for sale,” he said, while also blaming the stringent regulations of the govt in starting private schools.AS Seetharamu, former faculty of the Institute for Social and Economic Change, said the decline in the number of schools is not just a national phenomenon, but a global one. “In the history of education of all countries of the world, three stages of schooling are observed since the 1950s — an unlimited expansion/growth, consolidation (decrease), and quality improvement. India is now in the second and third phases,” he said.He explained: “Declining fertility in most of the states leads to unviable govt schools, rationalisation of existing schools, upgradation of lower to higher primary and higher primary to high schools, thus resulting in a decline in the number of schools. The ‘Number’ does not give an idea of the strength of schools. While smaller schools get closed, higher/high schools gain. Number hides the strength.”“Bihar/Rajasthan/UP gained in the number of schools. This may be due to a decline in drop-out rates and an increase in enrolments. Their record was bad in these respects earlier,” he added.BOX: Karnataka schools over the yearsSchools—2020-21——— 2021-22———– 2022-23——2023-24—— 2024-25 Govt——- 49,791———– 49,679————– 49,520——– 49,306—– 48,844 Pvt——— 19,915———– 19,650————- 19,531——– 19,542—— 19,105India schools over the years Schools—2020-21——— 2021-22———– 2022-23——–2023-24—— 2024-25 Govt— 10,32,049————- 10,22,386———- 10,16,010——- 10,17,660—— 10,13,322 Pvt— 3,40,753—————- 3,35,844———— 3,23,430——— 3,31,108——- 3,39,583
