BSP chief Mayawati criticized the UP government over deteriorating conditions in state-run schools, citing a drop of 22 lakh student enrollments in 2024-25 compared to the previous year. Official data shows primary and upper-primary enrollments fell from 1.74 crore to 1.52 crore, reflecting systemic issues.
Mayawati accused the government of undermining accessible education by targeting private madrasas instead of improving public schools. "Closing madrasas harms marginalized communities. The focus should be on upgrading infrastructure and teaching quality," she stated. She highlighted that UP and Bihar’s government schools rank among India’s worst, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged students.
The BSP leader urged the state to incentivize public schools and allocate resources to reverse declining enrollments. No immediate response was issued by the UP government.
