PMK flags fall in government school enrolments

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday expressed concern over the sharp decline in student enrolment in Tamil Nadu’s government schools, urging the State government to strengthen infrastructure and increase teacher strength to revive the public education system.

Citing data released by the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), Anbumani said enrolment in government schools fell by 2.07 lakh students in 2025-26 compared to the previous academic year and has declined by 7.39 lakh over the last three years.

He described the trend as a warning signal. According to the data, the number of students studying in government schools dropped from 45.10 lakh in 2024-25 to 43.03 lakh in 2025-26. Compared to 50.42 lakh students enrolled in 2022-23, the decline over three years stands at 7.39 lakh, he said.

Anbumani further pointed out that government school enrolment has fallen by 32.49 lakh students over the past 11 years, from 75.52 lakh in 2015-16 to 43.03 lakh at present, representing a decline of 43.02%.

He said, in contrast, enrolment in private schools increased by 1.77 lakh students in the last year alone, rising from 60.26 lakh to 62.03 lakh.

Anbumani attributed the decline in government school admissions to inadequate infrastructure and shortage of teachers. He alleged that more than one lakh classrooms were functioning without adequate teaching staff and said the State government must improve facilities and fill vacancies to restore confidence in public education.