Kerala Grapples with Rising Dropout Rates Despite Retention Efforts

As of September 10, 2025, the latest UDISE+ report reveals a concerning trend in Kerala's education system. While the state has shown significant improvements in student retention rates, the same cannot be said for dropout rates.

Despite having lower dropout rates than the national average, Kerala has seen an increase in the number of students leaving school at the lower primary, upper primary, and secondary levels. The dropout rate at the lower primary level has risen from 0% in 2023-24 to 0.8% in 2024-25, and the upper primary dropout rate has increased from 0% to 0.4% during the same period.

The data also shows a rise in dropouts at the secondary level, with the rate going up from 3.4% in 2023-24 to 4.8% in 2024-25. This is a concerning reversal of the progress made in the previous academic year, when dropout levels had dipped to 0% for primary and upper primary, and 6.7% for secondary.

The report highlights several infrastructure challenges that may be contributing to the dropout problem. While 99.1% of Kerala's schools have functional computer facilities for academics, only 91.7% have access to the internet. This disparity is even more pronounced in government schools, where only 89.2% have internet access, compared to 98.7% in Andhra Pradesh and 98.1% in Assam.

Additionally, the data reveals that only 35.5% of schools in Kerala have functional toilets that are accessible to children with special needs (CWSN), and only 68.4% have ramps with handrails for these students. The government's Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) project director has acknowledged the concerns and stated that the department will analyze the UDISE+ report and provide its findings to the General Education Minister.