Srinagar, Aug. 20 -- The enrolment data from Jammu and Kashmir forces a reckoning with how the school system is structured. At the primary stage, participation is high, but the steady decline across successive levels shows how fragile progression becomes. By the time learners reach Classes XI and XII, only 44.8 per cent remain enrolled. This is not a minor fluctuation; it is a clear sign that the path from basic schooling to higher learning is breaking down.

From 113.7 per cent at primary, enrolment drops to 77.3 per cent at upper-primary, then 66.1 per cent at secondary, before collapsing to less than half at the higher-secondary stage. The secondary-level dropout rate of 12.9 per cent, higher than the national average, adds weight to t...