Gujarat spent over ₹2000 cr, but saw 2.4 lakh school dropouts in 2025

Gujarat continues to struggle with retention of school students despite large-scale government initiatives and annual enrolment drives. Fresh data tabled in the Lok Sabha has revealed that 2.4 lakh students in the state dropped out of school over the past year.

According to official figures, Gujarat has recorded a 341% increase in the dropout rate. In 2024–25, 54,451 students discontinued their schooling. That number has surged past 2.4 lakh in 2025–26.

The figures come at a time when the state has been spending significantly on education-related programmes. Under the Shiksha Abhiyan alone, Gujarat has utilised more than ₹2,199 crore.

Despite this, learning environments in many government schools continue to face challenges such as inadequate classrooms, limited teaching staff and infrastructural gaps, leading to concerns about student retention.