VIJAYAWADA: With the 2025-26 academic year already underway, a sharp shortfall of 2,66,860 students in school and junior college enrolments across the state has raised alarm among education activists and parents’ associations.
According to official data released on June 30, the total number of enrolled students from Class 1 to 12 stands at 76,02,854, compared to 78,69,714 last year, a significant decline spanning all types of educational institutions, including government, aided, and private.
The gap is most visible in primary education, particularly in Class 1, which saw a steep fall from 6.87 lakh in 2024-25 to 5.60 lakh in the current year, a drop of 1.26 lakh.
The trend indicates not only a demographic decline but also administrative lapses in timely enrolment.
Though enrolment drives are still ongoing and the UDISE+ figures are yet to be finalised (expected by September 30), the magnitude of the decline in students’ enrolment this academic year has sparked serious concern.
Activists are questioning whether children eligible for promotion have dropped out or are simply missing from the system due to documentation or other issues.
We are conducting a very focused & transparent review: Edu commissioner
Sikharam Narahari, president of the Parents’ Association of Andhra Pradesh (PAAP), alleged: “We are asking what happened to these 2.66 lakh students. Why are they missing from schools and junior colleges this year? We demand that the government release a white paper on enrolment and the actual student count.” He also urged the Union Ministry of Education to intervene.
In response, Commissioner of School Education V Vijayaramaraju denied any decline in enrolment this year. “Enrolment typically closes in August. This year, we are conducting a very focused and transparent review. The gap being highlighted is intentional - we have taken up APAAR ID generation and data purification. Many enrolled children still lack Aadhaar verification. Their enrolment will be finalised shortly,” he clarified.
Officials added that more rigorous de-duplication and Aadhaar-based validation of student records this year have revealed the actual picture, in contrast to inflated figures in previous years.
The concern extends beyond schools. Government junior colleges also witnessed a drop in first-year admissions from 1,27,270 last year to 99,323 this year. Private colleges lost 62,123 students, and aided colleges saw a decline of 1,331.
Education Minister Nara Lokesh, who has initiated regular reviews and statewide Mega Parent-Teacher Meetings, stated that the government is committed to digitally tracking every student.
“We are building a transparent and responsive education system where every child is accounted for. No one will be left behind,” he said recently.
Despite the assurances, parents’ groups and child rights activists are calling for a state-level emergency enrolment drive to identify and re-admit out-of-school children. They are also demanding an independent investigation into the enrolment discrepancies, especially given the critical role of accurate data in planning and welfare delivery.
Sharp decline a concern
Officials added that more rigorous de-duplication and Aadhaar-based validation of student records this year have revealed the actual picture, in contrast to inflated figures in previous years.
The concern extends beyond schools. Government junior colleges also witnessed a drop in first-year admissions — from 1,27,270 last year to 99,323 this year. Private colleges lost 62,123 students, and aided colleges saw a decline of 1,331.
Education Minister Nara Lokesh, who has initiated regular reviews and statewide Mega Parent-Teacher Meetings, stated that the government is committed to digitally tracking every student. “We are building a transparent and responsive education system where every child is accounted for. No one will be left behind,” he said recently.
Despite the assurances, parents’ groups and child rights activists are calling for a state-level emergency enrolment drive to identify and re-admit out-of-school children.
They are also demanding an independent investigation into the enrolment discrepancies, especially given the critical role of accurate data in planning and welfare delivery.