Are children with special needs enrolled in schools in India?, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2025-26 report indicates stagnant enrollment of Children With Special Needs (CWSN) in Indian schools over the past eight years.
• Approximately 21.66 lakh CWSN were enrolled in schools in 2025-26, a number that has remained largely constant.
• Estimates based on National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data suggest only about 22% of CWSN in India are enrolled in schools.
• The enrollment of CWSN significantly decreases at higher stages of schooling, with only 48% transitioning from upper primary to secondary levels.
• Gender disparity persists, with only about 43 out of every 100 CWSN enrolled in schools being girls.

Detailed Insights:

• The 2011 Census reported 32.5 lakh disabled children under nine years, highlighting a significant gap compared to current school enrollment figures.
• The actual number of CWSN in India is estimated to have grown from 92.3 lakh to 98.8 lakh between 2018-19 and 2025-26.
• The underreporting of CWSN in school data may be due to schools not updating their categories to align with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
• The decline in CWSN enrollment across schooling stages is more pronounced than for the general student population.
• While overall CWSN enrollment for girls is lower, their dropout rate between primary and upper primary appears to be less than that of boys.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Children With Special Needs (CWSN): Individuals requiring specialized support due to physical, sensory, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.
• Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE): A comprehensive database on school education in India, collecting data from all recognized schools.
• National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5): A large-scale, multi-round survey providing data on health and family welfare, including disability prevalence.
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016: Indian legislation promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, recognizing 21 categories of disabilities.