Pune, July 29, 2023: Concerns have arisen over a significant decline in student enrollment in Zilla Parishad and Municipal schools across Maharashtra during the academic year 2022-23. The Maharashtra Primary Education Council recently issued a circular, revealing a notable drop of three lakhs in the total number of students compared to the previous academic year, 2021-22. This decline is likely to have implications on the annual planning and budget of the education system.
The circular provides a detailed comparison of student enrollment figures between the academic years 2021-22 and 2022-23. In the previous year, a total of 54,24,723 students were registered in local government schools, with 45,58,008 students in Zilla Parishad schools, 6,80,431 students in municipal schools, and 1,86,284 students in other municipal schools. However, in the academic year 2022-23, the total number of registered students dropped to 51,23,955.
The decline in enrollment was particularly prominent in Zilla Parishad schools, which witnessed a decrease of 3,13,764 students, and municipal schools, where a decline of 8,742 students was observed. Surprisingly, there was a marginal increase of 21,738 students in other municipal schools.
The circular also brought attention to a concerning fact – despite repeated instructions, achieving 100% registration of students in the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) system has not been accomplished. This failure to comply may have contributed to the overall decrease in the number of students and is considered a grave matter that could significantly impact the annual budget and planning of the Samagra Shiksha Yojana.
To address this issue, authorities have issued clear instructions to ensure prompt and accurate registration of students in the UDISE+ system.
While some uncertainty remains about whether the decline in student numbers is solely due to actual decreased enrollment or partially influenced by incomplete registrations in the UDISE+ system, data from the past two years indicates a visible decrease in student enrollment.
The Samagra Shiksha Yojana, implemented by the Maharashtra Primary Education Council, aims to provide essential school materials such as uniforms and textbooks to students. However, the decline in student numbers may potentially affect the scheme’s annual budget, leading to reduced funding for the program. As a result, authorities are closely monitoring the situation and working towards resolving the issue to ensure adequate support for the education system.
