Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Nearly 49% of students enrolled in primary education in Madhya Pradesh do not continue to middle school, reveals the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Education, 2025. While the state reports a primary enrolment rate of 41.7%, this sharply declines to 21.3% at the middle school level, highlighting a significant challenge in student retention.

Enrolment and Dropout Rates

Level MP India UP TN Kerala

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Primary 41.7 41.6 47.9 36.0 34.3

Middle 21.3 22.0 21.5 24.1 19.7

Drop (pp) 20.4 19.6 26.4 11.9 14.6

Drop (%) 48.9 47.1 55.1 33.1 42.6

pp = percentage points

Where does Madhya Pradesh stand?

Madhya Pradesh’s dropout rate of nearly 49% between primary and middle school is a cause for concern, as it indicates that almost half of the children enrolled in primary education discontinue before completing middle school.

This rate is slightly above the national average of 47.1% and significantly higher than states like Tamil Nadu, which exhibits a dropout rate of just 33.1%.

Uttar Pradesh reports an even more alarming dropout rate of 55.1%, pointing to broader regional challenges in retaining students beyond primary education.

Gender-wise, Madhya Pradesh shows a slightly higher enrolment for females (21.9%) compared to males (20.8%) at the middle school level, a positive sign given the historical gender gap in education.

Urban and rural enrolment rates are also balanced, standing at 22.1% and 21.0%, respectively, suggesting access challenges are consistent across geographies, as noted by CBSE resource person Manoj Bajpai.

How dropouts impact more than just education?

The steep decline from primary to middle school enrolment has multiple implications, as discussed with CBSE coordinator UK Jha.

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  * Human capital development is at risk, with a significant number of children missing out on foundational education needed for higher learning and skill acquisition.

  
  


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  * Economic growth potential could be constrained due to lower literacy and skill levels in the future workforce.

  
  


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  * Gender equality efforts must continue, as sustained female enrolment is critical for women’s empowerment and socio-economic progress.

  
  

Steps to stem the dropout wave

To address these challenges, Keran Bahadur, an educationist, suggested:

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  * Improving middle school infrastructure and access, particularly in rural and tribal regions.

  
  


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  * Introducing retention incentives and targeted interventions to keep children, especially girls, in school.

  
  


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  * Enhancing community awareness and support to overcome socio-economic barriers causing dropouts.