India, Jan. 30 -- There is a need to retain school students beyond Class 8 as the secondary age-specific net enrolment remains low, the Economic Survey 2025-26 said.

According to the survey tabled in Parliament on Thursday by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while India has improved enrolment at early levels, the secondary age-specific net enrolment rate (NER) remains low at 52.2 per cent.

It said the scenario highlights the need to retain students beyond Class 8.

"A key issue is the uneven distribution of schools as 54 per cent of schools offer only foundational-preparatory education, while just 17.1 per cent provide secondary education in rural areas," it noted.

Urban areas have a higher share of secondary schools (38.1 pe...