Srinagar, Jul 27 (KNO): Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have registered improvements in several key school education indicators, including Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and girls' retention rates, according to the latest UDISE+ data tabled in Parliament by the Union Ministry of Education.
Replying to an unstarred question on the closure of government schools, the ministry, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the data relates to school education indicators for 2024-25 and 2025-26 across the country.
As per the annexures, Jammu & Kashmir's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for Scheduled Castes (SCs) at the foundational level increased from 98.9 in 2024-25 to 101.2 in 2025-26. At the preparatory level, it stood at 135.2, while the middle level GER was 91.7 and the secondary level improved from 61.0 to 62.9 during the period.
For Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu & Kashmir, the foundational GER increased from 116.2 to 123.5, the preparatory level from 147.7 to 160.0, the middle level from 98.4 to 102.9, while the secondary level rose from 56.3 to 62.8 in 2025-26.
In Ladakh, the SC GER remained exceptionally high, with the foundational level increasing from 457.1 to 459.9, while the preparatory level stood at 574.1, the middle level improved sharply from 258.3 to 354.7, and the secondary level was recorded at 298.1 in 2025-26.
For ST students in Ladakh, the foundational GER stood at 59.4, preparatory at 76.0, middle at 62.7, while the secondary GER was 49.7 during 2025-26.
The parliamentary reply also showed an improvement in the overall retention rate for girls in Jammu & Kashmir. At the primary level, the retention rate increased from 79.8 per cent to 80.5 per cent, elementary from 75.1 to 75.4 per cent, secondary from 55.6 to 69.1 per cent, and higher secondary from 39.7 to 40.4 per cent.
In Ladakh, girls' retention at the primary level improved from 77.6 per cent to 78.6 per cent, while the elementary level increased from 71.9 to 73.7 per cent. The secondary retention rate, however, declined slightly from 75.6 to 73.6 per cent, while higher secondary retention dipped from 53.3 to 49.9 per cent, according to the data.
The ministry said the figures are based on UDISE+ data for the academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26 and form part of its reply on issues relating to government schools—(KNO)