Lok Sabha Q&A: India's School Learning Outcomes Show Recovery Post-COVID, Driven by Foundational Missions
SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Ministry of Education (MoE) | Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) | NCERTa
The Ministry of Education (MoE) addressed an Unstarred Question in the Lok Sabha on December 10, 2025, providing details on the status of children’s learning outcomes and steps to address post-COVID-19 learning loss, citing evidence of recovery and decline in dropout rates. The Ministry stated that large-scale assessments indicate a recovery from learning losses, particularly at the foundational stage.
Learning Recovery: The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) 2024 (formerly NAS) showed significant improvement in Language and Mathematics scores at the foundational level (Grade 3) compared to the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021. These early gains are attributed to the NIPUN Bharat Mission, launched under the flagship Samagra Shiksha scheme in 2021.
Dropout Reduction: Data from the UDISE+ system shows that the All India level dropout rate has come down considerably from 2021-22 to 2024-25. The Primary dropout rate decreased from 1.45% in 2021-22 to 0.3% in 2024-25, and the Secondary dropout rate fell from 12.61% to 11.5% in the same period.
To re-enroll dropped-out children and sustain learning, the Government is implementing several integrated schemes:
Digital Education (PM e-Vidya): This initiative unifies efforts for multi-mode access to education, including 200 DTH TV channels and 400 Radio channels for supplementary education. The DIKSHA platform, the Nation’s digital platform, has seen over 565.28 crore learning sessions completed and features over 3.7 lakh content pieces in various languages.
Integrated Training (NISHTHA): The National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) mission provides integrated teacher training online via the DIKSHA platform.
Out-of-School Mainstreaming: Support is extended for household surveys, identification, and mainstreaming of Out-of-School Children into age-appropriate classes, along with remedial teaching and learning enhancement programmes under Samagra Shiksha.
Fund Utilization: A total of ₹4601.20 crore was allocated and ₹2249.50 crore was utilized for Learning Enhancement/Enrichment Programmes under Samagra Shiksha over the last five years (2021-22 to 2025-26).
Policy Relevance: The documented learning recovery and declining dropout rates suggest key flagship missions (NIPUN, PM e-Vidya) are effectively mitigating the pandemic’s impact, validating the NEP 2020’s focus on foundational literacy. Continued capital expenditure, especially filling the large utilization gap for Learning Enhancement Programmes, is critical to consolidate these gains and achieve equitable education (SDG 4).
What is the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) 2024? The PRS 2024 is the latest national-level assessment conducted by the Ministry of Education to measure learning outcomes. It assesses the competency development of students at the end of the Foundational (Grade 3), Preparatory (Grade 6), and Middle (Grade 9) stages of schooling, providing baseline performance data under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will the Ministry address the significant gap between allocated (₹4601.20 crore) and utilized (₹2249.50 crore) funds for Learning Enhancement Programmes to ensure full implementation of remedial education initiatives?
Follow the full news here: Decline in children’s learning outcomes post COVID-19