Loading article...
Only 9.64% of schools in Kerala offer integrated schooling from Class I to XII, according to a NITI Aayog report titled 'School education system in India: temporal analysis and policy roadmap for quality enhancement'. The analysis, based on a decade of data, finds that 1,520 of Kerala's 15,757 schools provide full-cycle education, a figure the report says contributes to transition inefficiencies and student attrition when learners must switch institutions.
Nationally, just 5.4% of Indian schools offer Classes I to XII, with Rajasthan leading at 35% of the country's total integrated schools. Kerala outperforms several large states: West Bengal (0.91%), Bihar (1.4%), and Uttar Pradesh (2.9%). In Kerala, 40.3% of schools are primary-level (Class I to V), while 3,768 cover Class I to VIII and 1,417 extend to Class X. Another 1,002 schools offer Classes VI to XII, and 474 are limited to Class IX to XII.
Kerala maintains high enrolment and transition rates, with a 99.3% shift from primary to upper primary and 99.6% from upper primary to secondary—among the highest in India. Transition from secondary to higher secondary improved to 90.2% in 2024-25 from 73.34% in 2014-15. Primary and upper primary dropout rates remain low at 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively, though secondary level dropouts stand at 4.8%.
The report attributes secondary-level attrition to economic pressures, early labor market entry, and weak institutional support. Despite Kerala's progress in reducing dropout rates from 14.5% in 2014-15, the fragmented school structure remains a systemic challenge.
NITI Aayog has recommended policy reforms to expand integrated schooling, with officials indicating the roadmap will be discussed with states in upcoming education consultations.