Education
UNESCO Report Highlights Need for Boost in India’s Upper Secondary Education
The recent UNESCO report, “SDG 4 Scorecard Progress Report on National Benchmarks: Focus on Teachers,” reveals that while India is excelling in primary education, the upper secondary education sector requires significant improvements. The report, published by UNESCO, shows that India’s primary education completion rate is at an impressive 94%, nearing its 2025 benchmark of 99%. However, the upper secondary completion rate lags at 51%, against the 2025 benchmark of 84%.
India’s performance in pre-primary participation is also notable, scoring 91%, close to its target of 95%. Conversely, the country struggles with out-of-school rates and lacks sufficient data to assess minimum learning proficiency accurately.
In terms of school internet connectivity, India is making average progress across all educational levels, indicating room for enhancement. The country performs well in the pre-primary teacher training sector, meeting its 2025 benchmark of 95%.
Overall, while India’s primary education sector is performing well, the secondary education sector, especially the upper secondary level, needs focused attention to meet the set benchmarks. The report highlights that 79% of countries have submitted national targets for SDG 4 indicators, with India making strides in some areas but still requiring significant efforts in others.
