9% drop in admissions to government schools in Punjab, AAP government under fire
मुख्य बातें
- •A 9% drop in admissions to government schools in Punjab has been recorded, equivalent to nearly 176,000 children.
- •The number of enrolled children fell from 1,965,651 in 2023-24 to 1,734,353 in 2025-26.
- •Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused the government of failing in the education sector.
- •Despite government efforts, declining trust due to issues like mid-day meals and inadequate facilities is contributing to the drop.
Fresh data from Punjab’s Education Department has raised serious questions about the state government’s claims. Contrary to the reforms and promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the education sector, government schools have seen a sharp decline in admissions at the pre-primary and primary levels. According to sources, the drop has reached nearly 9%, a trend that has been worsening over the past three years. This decline not only undermines the credibility of the education system but has also become a political challenge for the government, especially ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab.
Sources reveal that in the academic year 2023-24, a total of 1,965,651 children were enrolled in government schools. The following year, 2024-25, this number fell to 1,910,058, reflecting a loss of 55,593 students. The decline accelerated further in 2025-26, with admissions dropping to just 1,734,353—a decrease of 175,705 children in a single year. The data indicates that the overall drop has now reached approximately 9%, signaling a growing lack of public confidence in the government’s education reforms.
