The number of students enrolled in lower primary (LP) classes (grades I to IV) in government, aided, and unaided schools declined by 62,667 in one year in Kerala.
The number of children in LP classes in government, aided, and unaided schools declined from 12,50,184 in 2024-25 to 11,87,517 in 2025-26. This is more than the decline of 58,231 from 2023-24 (when 13,08,415 students were studying in LP classes) to 2024-25 (12,50,184 ), but less than the decline of 64,651 from 13,73,066 in 2022-23 to 13,08,415 in 2023-24, according to data tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The biggest decline was of over 1.45 lakh students from 2011-12 when 14,30,322 lower primary students were enrolled to 12,84,361 in the year 2012-13.
After an improvement in 2015-16, enrolments kept going up to reach a high of 14,18,079 in 2021-22, the first time it had crossed the 14-lakh mark since 2011-12. In fact, the enrolment rose by 60,472 from 13,57,607 in 2020-21 (during COVID-19) to 14,18,079 in 2021-22.
However, the graph has dipped steadily since then, though Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty’s reply to a starred question by K.J. Maxy, D.K. Murali, P.T.A. Rahim, and G. Stephen in the Assembly on Wednesday observed that the primary school enrolment has been increasing since 2016-17 and that it had not shown any significant variation in the pre-COVID and post-COVID years.
The department attributes the decline in enrolments to the falling birth rate. The birth rate in 2006 was 16.63. By 2020, it had declined to 12.77, according to the Minister’s reply.
The decline in primary enrolment owing to changing demographics is nothing new though. According to the Economic Review 1990, lower primary enrolment was 25.27 lakh in 1989-90 while the total school enrolment was 58.83 lakh. By 1999-2000, primary school enrolment had dipped to 19.32 lakh, while the total enrolment was 52.49 lakh.
Plus One
The Minister’s reply also said that Plus One higher secondary enrolment in the past 10 years had increased. However, the numbers tabled show a declining trend – from 4.49 lakh admissions to Plus One in 2016 to 4.13 lakh by 2025.
The number of those discontinuing the course, however, has shown an increase. While there were 233 dropouts in 2016, it increased to 888 in 2022, 1,148 in 2024 (enrolment 4.14 lakh), and 825 in 2025. The percentage increase was 0.000518 in 2016 to 0.001995 in 2025.
The reasons cited for this include shifting from Plus One to some other vocational or technical course that too has SSLC as the minimum requirement. Transfers and other reasons are also quoted in the reply.
Published – October 08, 2025 07:37 pm IST
