Amaravati, August 18: In a response to the Legislative Council, the Andhra Pradesh government has officially stated that no government or aided schools were closed in the state over the last two academic years. However, the government acknowledged a significant decline in student enrollment in government schools over the past three years, a trend it claims has now reversed.
The response, provided by Minister for Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh to a question raised by MLCs, confirmed that the share of admissions in government schools fell considerably from 55.01% in 2021-22 to 41.40% in 2025-26. This data, sourced from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) records, highlights a consistent decline in the popularity of government-run institutions.
The figures show a year-on-year decrease in the government school enrollment percentage, dropping from 56.96% in 2021-22 to 43.09% in 2024-25. However, the government has presented the 2026-27 data as evidence of a positive turnaround. The enrollment share in government schools increased to 42.34% in 2026-27, up from 41.40% in the previous academic year (2025-26). This corresponds with a decline in the percentage of admissions in private schools from 57.47% to 56.57% during the same period.
The government’s response categorically denied the closure of any schools, stating “No, Sir” to the question regarding school closures.
Year-wise enrollment trends provided to the Legislative Council
This data comes amidst a political debate on the state of education in Andhra Pradesh. Opposition YSRCP members have previously highlighted what they described as a “sharp decline” in government schools and student enrollment, citing earlier UDISE+ reports to criticize the government’s performance. This has led to heated discussions in the Legislative Council, with the opposition demanding debates and investigations into various education-related issues, including teacher recruitment.
The Minister has previously stated that the government is committed to improving the quality of government schools to compete with private institutions and increase enrollment. Officials have attributed the recent rise in government school admissions to a series of educational reforms and data purification processes.
