NITI Aayog Suggests 13 Urgent Reforms: Will India’s Education System Finally See Structural Change?

On May 7, 2026, NITI Aayog released its comprehensive report School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement. The findings reveal that government schools continue to struggle with basic infrastructure, staffing shortages, and declining learning outcomes, raising urgent questions about the future of India’s education system.

Infrastructure Deficit

• Despite progress in some areas, the report highlights stark deficiencies:
• 98,592 schools lack functional girls’ toilets and 61,540 schools have no usable toilets at all.
• 1.19 lakh schools still operate without electricity, even though national coverage has improved to 91.9%.
• Many schools lack laboratories, libraries, and safe drinking water facilities, undermining the quality of education. 

Teacher Shortages And Competency

Staffing remains a critical challenge:

• Over 1,04,000 schools across India have only one teacher, often handling multiple grades and subjects.
• In Telangana alone, 5,001 single-teacher schools serve more than 62,000 students.
• Teacher competency is alarmingly low, with only 2% scoring above 70% in mathematics assessments and average scores hovering around 46%. 

Learning Crisis And Dropouts

The report underscores a widening learning gap:

• Only 27% of Grade 3 students can read Grade 2-level texts, and just 31% of Grade 5 students can solve basic division problems.
• Four out of ten children drop out before completing higher secondary education.
• Structural fragmentation where only 5.4% of schools offer Grades 1–12 under one roof forces students to change institutions multiple times, contributing to attrition. 

Policy Recommendations

NITI Aayog has proposed 13 reforms, including:

• Creating composite schools covering Grades 1–12 to reduce dropouts.
• Strengthening teacher training and deployment under programs like NISHTHA.
• Expanding digital learning ecosystems and improving governance capacity.
• Promoting equity and inclusion, especially for girls and marginalized communities. 

Key Highlights

• NITI Aayog flags severe infrastructure gaps in government schools
• Over 1 lakh schools operate with only one teacher
• 98,592 schools lack functional girls’ toilets; 1.19 lakh without electricity
• Learning crisis deepens with poor reading and math proficiency
• Dropout rates remain high due to fragmented schooling structure
• 13 policy recommendations issued to address systemic challenges

Sources: Times Now, The Hindu, Telangana Today, NewsBytes, Financial Express, PIB