YS Jagan Questions Fall In Government School Enrolment In Andhra Pradesh

YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has questioned the state government’s claim that more than 1.1 lakh students shifted from private to government schools, citing UDISE+ 2025-26 data.

Comparing enrolment figures from 2023-24 and 2025-26, Jagan said government schools had witnessed a significant decline rather than an increase. According to figures shared by him, enrolment in government schools fell from 40,50,116 students in 2023-24 to 34,93,450 in 2025-26, a drop of more than 5.5 lakh students.

He also said the number of government schools declined from around 45,000 to 44,222, while government-aided schools fell from 991 to 797 during the same period.

In contrast, private schools recorded an increase in enrolment. Jagan said the number of students in private schools rose from 45,53,380 in 2023-24 to 48,40,296 in 2025-26. He argued that these figures contradicted the government’s claim of a large-scale shift of students from private to government schools. The ruling TDP had not immediately responded to his allegations.

Jagan accused the state government of weakening the public education system to benefit private educational institutions, alleging that the sector was increasingly dominated by large corporate groups. He expressed concern that poor and middle-class families unable to afford private-school fees could be deprived of access to quality education.

The former chief minister also highlighted education reforms introduced during the 2019-2024 YSRCP government. He recalled the ‘Mana Badi - Nadu Nedu’ programme, under which infrastructure was upgraded in 56,703 government schools, welfare hostels and junior colleges, including furniture, drinking water and sanitation facilities.

He said his government introduced English-medium education, bilingual textbooks and Oxford dictionaries, besides installing 62,000 interactive flat panels for higher classes and 45,000 smart TVs for Classes 1 to 5.

Jagan further cited the introduction of TOEFL from Class 3 to improve spoken English skills and an agreement with the US-based Educational Testing Service (ETS) for international certification.

He also said plans were prepared to introduce the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum in government schools, with the aim of enabling students from Andhra Pradesh to compete at the global level.

The contrasting enrolment trends have intensified the political debate over the future of government education in Andhra Pradesh, with the opposition questioning the government’s claims and its education policy.