More than half of India’s five-year-olds are enrolled in primary school instead of preschool, raising concerns about early entry into formal education, according to UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report.
“On average, 27% of students aged one year before primary already attend primary. This global figure is largely driven by India, where 51% of five-year-olds are enrolled in primary rather than pre-primary education,” the report stated.
The trend, UNESCO noted, likely accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when early childhood education services were severely disrupted.
Rising Numbers in Primary
India’s UDISE+ data shows the share of under-six children in primary school rose from 35% in 2019–20 to 41% in 2021, and further to 60% in 2022. These figures exclude Anganwadi centres and private kindergartens.
However, not all early entrants missed preschool. The proportion of Class 1 students with prior preschool experience increased from 41% in 2019 to 80% in 2025, suggesting many children still undergo preparatory schooling before advancing early.
Structural Fragmentation
The report flagged structural fragmentation in early childhood education across South Asia. In India, provision is split between Anganwadi centres under the Ministry of Women and Child Development and emerging pre-primary classes under state education departments.
This dual system, UNESCO cautioned, “reduces quality assurance capacity” and limits curriculum alignment.
NEP 2020 & Govt Measures
India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places children aged three to eight in the foundational stage, comprising three years of preschool followed by Classes 1 and 2. It recommends entry into Class 1 at age six.
In February 2023, the Union Education Ministry directed states to align admission age to six-plus years. Initiatives such as Bal Vatika programmes in Kendriya Vidyalayas and the Vidya Pravesh play-based module launched in 2021 aim to ease the transition into primary schooling. Yet, implementation has varied across states.
Global Scenario
The GEM report highlighted evidence that targeted support improves early learning. In rural Karnataka, scholarships covering preschool fees boosted participation by 20 percentage points, with cognitive gains lasting into Grade 1.
Other countries have made rapid progress: Uzbekistan tripled preschool enrolment in seven years, while Azerbaijan achieved near-universal access for five-year-olds within five years.
Globally, the report warned of widening education gaps, with 273 million children and youth out of school in 2024, up 3% from 2015.