Enrolment of children in pre-primary education is improving; Telangana achieves near-universal enrolment

By Rashad Ullah Khan

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, a nationwide rural household survey facilitated by Pratham was released on the 28th of January, 2025. The survey reached 649,491 children in 17,997 villages across 605 rural districts in India. The report highlights key trends in enrolment, learning outcomes, digital literacy, and infrastructure, offering a snapshot of the challenges and improvements in the education sector.

Pre-primary education


The enrolment of children in pre-primary education has seen steady improvements over the past few years. For children aged 3–5 years, enrolment in various pre-primary institutions has risen, with 3-year-old enrolment increasing from 68.1% in 2018 to 77.4% in 2024. Notably, states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana have achieved near-universal enrolment for this age group, while states like Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh still have high percentages of 3-year-olds not enrolled. Among 5-year-olds, enrolment jumped from 58.5% in 2018 to 71.4% in 2024, with states like Karnataka, Gujarat, and Kerala showing enrolment rates exceeding 90%.

Hyderabad Institute of Excellence

According to the ASER Report, Anganwadi centres remain the largest provider of pre-primary education, with more than half of the children aged 3 and 4 years enrolled in these centers. However, private school enrolment among 5-year-olds has seen a notable rise, from 30.8% in 2022 to 37.5% in 2024. The report also highlights a significant reduction in the number of “underage” children entering Class 1. The proportion of children aged 5 years or below entering Class I has dropped from 25.6% in 2018 to 16.7% in 2024.

Elementary education


Enrolment in the 6–14 year age group remains high, with more than 98% of children in this age group enrolled in school. However, the proportion of children attending government schools has slightly declined from 72.9% in 2022 (the pandemic saw large increases in government school enrolments) to 66.8% in 2024, reflecting a broader trend of families seeking alternatives in private schools.
Learning outcomes in elementary education have shown significant improvement, especially in government schools. In 2024, the reading and arithmetic abilities of children in government schools have increased across various grades. For instance, the percentage of Class III children in government schools able to read a Class II level text improved from 16.3% in 2022 to 23.4% in 2024. Similarly, the proportion of Class V children who can solve a division problem has increased from 25.6% in 2022 to 30.7% in 2024.

Despite these improvements, challenges remain, especially in certain states where students’ performance continues to lag behind national averages.

MS Creative School

Older children


The enrolment of 15–16-year-olds has made progress, with the proportion of children not enrolled in school dropping from 13.1% in 2018 to 7.9% in 2024. However, there are still notable gender gaps in enrolment, with girls in several states facing higher rates of non-enrolment compared to boys.

In terms of digital literacy, ASER 2024 marks the first time the survey included questions on smartphone use among children. Close to 90% of children aged 14–16 years report having access to a smartphone at home, and 82.2% of them know how to use one. However, gender disparities persist, with boys more likely than girls to own a smartphone and use it for educational activities. Kerala stands out as a state where digital engagement is exceptionally high among children.

The Report also assessed children’s ability to perform basic digital tasks, such as setting an alarm, browsing for information, and sharing a YouTube video. The report notes that more than three-quarters of children completed these tasks, though boys generally outperformed girls.

Observations over schools


ASER 2024 provides insights into the state of government primary schools, with 15,728 schools visited for the survey. Key findings include an increase in the proportion of schools with usable girls’ toilets (from 66.4% in 2018 to 72% in 2024) and improved availability of drinking water and additional learning materials. However, infrastructural challenges such as the availability of drinking water and books, other than textbooks remain an issue in certain states like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland, where basic school facilities are still lacking.
Student and teacher attendance has also improved, with average student attendance rising from 72.4% in 2018 to 75.9% in 2024, and teacher attendance increasing from 85.1% in 2018 to 87.5% in 2024. These improvements are especially noticeable in Uttar Pradesh, where attendance rates have seen the most significant increases.

Situation in Telangana

According to the ASER Report, Telangana, along with Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Odisha, has achieved near-universal enrolment for the 3-year-old age group. The percentage of children not enrolled in school has been gradually decreasing in Telangana from 2014 onwards. The area in which Telangana has not performed well is that of reading levels. The Class VIII students’ reading level in Telangana is quite alarming with only 56.4% of students being able to read a Class II standard-level textbook. There is a declining trend in terms of Class III students being able to read Class II-level textbooks. While Telangana fares well in terms of enrolment and infrastructure (availability of drinking water and toilets) when compared to other states, there has been a decline in terms of quality of education displayed by the declining ability of students in higher classes being able to read texts or solve arithmetic questions from lower classes.

Challenges ahead


While the ASER 2024 report highlights positive trends in enrolment and learning outcomes, it also underscores several ongoing challenges. For instance, gender gaps in enrolment and digital literacy persist, alongside the need for an overall improvement in school infrastructure. Moreover, while enrolment figures for pre-primary and elementary education are high, the quality of education remains a critical concern, as evidenced by uneven learning outcomes in the form of differing reading levels and ability to solve arithmetic problems.

The ASER 2024 findings call for a continued focus on improving school facilities, supporting teacher training, and addressing the needs of marginalised groups, especially girls and children in rural areas. As the country moves forward, a multi-faceted approach to education reform is necessary to ensure that all children can succeed academically and beyond. The steady progress in enrolment, coupled with gains in learning outcomes, reflect that change is taking place. However, addressing gaps in gender equality, digital literacy, and school infrastructure remains vital to building an inclusive and effective education system for all children.

Rashad Ullah Khan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Developing Policy and Practice. He completed his Master’s in Women’s Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. His interests lie in religiosity, social movements, and gender.

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