Praja Report Highlights Retention Challenges and Enrollment Shifts in BMC Schools

A Praja Foundation report on Mumbai's BMC schools reveals a retention rate decline, with only 48 of 100 students enrolled in Class 1 in 2015-16 continuing to Class 10 by 2024-25. While overall enrolment rose by 54% in English-medium schools, Marathi and Hindi-medium enrolments fell by 34% and 39%. Staff vacancies remain high, and budget share for education has decreased despite increased per-student spending. The report calls for improved tracking, teacher training, and stronger accountability to address these challenges.