NITI Aayog unveils a policy roadmap for India's school education system

New Delhi, May 7 (NewsAlert24x7) – NITI Aayog has unveiled a comprehensive policy report offering a decade-long evaluation of India’s school education system, analyzing key areas such as access, enrollment, infrastructure, equity, inclusion, and learning outcomes. The report, titled ‘School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement,’ was released by NITI Aayog CEO Nidhi Chhibber. It outlines 13 detailed recommendations aimed at systemic and academic reforms. The eight systemic recommendations include restructuring schools through composite models and evidence-based rationalization, enhancing infrastructure, governance reforms, capacity building, and institutionalizing a whole-of-society approach via State and District Task Forces on School Quality. It also emphasizes strengthening School Management Committees, improving teacher deployment and professional development, expanding digital and broadcast learning, and advancing equity and inclusion. The five academic recommendations focus on transforming pedagogy, assessment, and foundational learning, promoting holistic education and student wellbeing, reimagining vocational education with skill integration, strengthening early childhood care and education (ECCE), and incorporating AI-driven pedagogical innovation. Drawing on data from UDISE+ 2024-25, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, NAS 2017 and 2021, and ASER 2024, the report also reflects insights from a National Workshop on Quality School Education convened by NITI Aayog in February 2025, which included over 150 stakeholders. India’s school system currently encompasses 14.71 lakh schools serving more than 24.69 crore students, making it the world’s largest. The report uses heat maps and visual graphics to highlight significant progress in infrastructure, notably in electricity access, functional sanitation, inclusive facilities, and digital learning through increased computer availability, internet connectivity, and smart classrooms. Encouraging improvements in equity and inclusion are noted, particularly in girls’ participation and enrollment of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students across educational stages. The report also proposes 33 implementation pathways for its recommendations, organized into short, medium, and long-term actions, with clearly assigned responsibilities at the Central, State, and local levels.