speedy Summary
- Kerala ranks highly in key areas such as academic standards,retention rate,infrastructure,and gender equality according to UDISE+ data for 2024-25 released by the Ministry of Education.
- The state achieved a 99.5% retention rate from Class I to Class X, significantly above the national average of 62.9%.
- Kerala also recorded that 90% of students joined higher secondary level compared to the national average of only 47.2%.
- Most schools in Kerala (99.1%) have computer access versus a national average of 57%.
- the Gender Parity Index in Kerala exceeds 1 at all levels of school education, indicating high female participation.
- Other indicators like library availability, playgrounds, sanitation facilities for boys and girls are also reported as excellent in the state.
- Teacher training levels are noted to be much higher than India’s overall averages.
- General Education Minister V. Sivankutty criticized the Union government for insufficient funding under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), alleging no allocations were made to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, or West Bengal for this year.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Kerala’s strong performance across educational metrics showcases its effective policy focus on inclusivity and infrastructure progress within schools. Achieving near-universal retention rates highlights sustained efforts toward student engagement and minimizing dropouts over time-a critically important contrast with broader national challenges evidenced by lower averages elsewhere.
The disparity between states signals potential issues requiring greater federal attention concerning equitable distribution of resources through programs like SSA funding.If unaddressed comprehensively across diverse regions, it could perpetuate imbalances within India’s wider educational framework.
Additionally, initiatives targeting gender parity and digital access could provide best-practice models scalable nationally-but collaboration between state-specific practices alongside central implementation processes remains crucial moving forward.Read More