PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take immediate steps to address the continued decline in student enrolment across government schools. Referring to the latest figures released through the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), he said the trend highlights the need for urgent reforms in the public education system.

According to Ramadoss, the steady reduction in admissions reflects long-standing challenges, including an insufficient number of teachers and inadequate school infrastructure. He stressed that resolving these issues is essential to restore confidence in government-run educational institutions.

Data compiled under the Union Education Ministry's UDISE platform indicates that enrolment in Tamil Nadu's government schools has declined by more than 43 percent over the past 11 years. During the same period, private schools have continued to register growth in student admissions. The latest report also shows that overall enrolment across both government and private schools dropped by approximately 1.15 lakh students compared with the previous academic year.

Government Schools Record Significant Decline

Ramadoss pointed out that government schools alone witnessed a reduction of around 2.07 lakh students within a single academic year. UDISE data shows enrolment decreased from nearly 45.10 lakh students in 2024-25 to about 43.03 lakh in 2025-26.

The decline has been even more noticeable over the past three years. Student strength has fallen from 50.42 lakh during the 2022-23 academic year to approximately 43.03 lakh in 2025-26, resulting in an overall reduction of nearly 7.39 lakh students.

Looking at the longer-term trend, government schools enrolled around 75.52 lakh students in 2015-16. Since then, enrolment has decreased by roughly 32.49 lakh students, representing an overall decline of approximately 43.02 percent based on UDISE statistics.

Teacher Shortages and Infrastructure Challenges Highlighted

While government schools have experienced declining admissions, private educational institutions have continued to attract more students. Their enrolment increased from about 60.26 lakh to 62.03 lakh over the past year, adding nearly 1.77 lakh students.

Over the past decade, private school enrolment has expanded considerably, rising from approximately 36.56 lakh students in 2015-16 to 62.03 lakh in 2025-26. The figures indicate a growing preference among families for private schools.

Ramadoss attributed the continued decline in government school enrolment largely to inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teaching staff. He noted that many classrooms continue to operate without sufficient teachers, affecting the quality of education and making it difficult to attract and retain students.

He called on the Tamil Nadu government to strengthen school infrastructure and accelerate teacher recruitment, stating that these measures would be essential to improve public education and reverse the downward trend in enrolment.