What happened

Kerala’s State-syllabus schools recorded 2,914 dropouts in the 2024-25 academic year. The largest group was children of migrant workers, showing that school retention in Kerala is closely linked to labour migration and family mobility.

The data also show that dropouts are not caused by one factor alone. The reasons include migration, family instability, health problems, learning disengagement, financial stress, and preference for religious education.

Background and earlier position

Student dropout is a recurring education and social-justice problem in India. The constitutional mandate under Article 21A and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 places the burden on the State to ensure access, continuity, and completion of elementary education.

Kerala usually performs better than many States on school participation, but the latest figures show that mobility of migrant families still disrupts continuity in State-syllabus schools. That makes dropout prevention a governance issue, not only an education issue.

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