MUMBAI: Enrolment in schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has risen in the last decade, but concerns about retention and falling enrolment in regional language schools remain, according to a report released by the Praja Foundation on Friday.
The report, titled ‘State of Municipal Education in Mumbai 2026’, states that students in civic schools accounted for 41% of the total number of school students in Mumbai in 2015–16. This fell to 36% in 2019-20 but rose sharply to 42% during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021–22. Thereafter, the proportion stabilised at 44% in 2024–25.
However, the report raises serious concerns about retention. It found that out of every 100 students who enrolled in Class 1 in 2015–16, only 48 continued their studies until Class 10 by 2024–25.
Language-wise enrolment trends also show a major shift. Over the last decade, enrolment in Marathi-medium schools run by BMC dropped 34%, while Hindi-medium schools saw a 39% decline. In contrast, English-medium BMC schools recorded a sharp 54% rise in enrolment between 2015–16 and 2024–25.
Former Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, an advisor to Praja Foundation, said, “The aspiration to give an education in English-medium schools to our children is high among all kinds of parents.” He said the municipal education system needs structural reforms, digital governance and stronger accountability to improve outcomes and rebuild public trust.
On a positive note, health check-ups of students have improved over the years. In 2016–17, 69% of students in BMC schools underwent health screening. This figure increased to 82% in 2024–25, covering more than 2.54 lakh students.
The report also highlights the growing investment in municipal education. For the financial year 2026–27, the BMC has allocated ₹4,105 crore for education of its total budget of ₹80,953 crore.
Addressing the media along with Praja Foundation, additional municipal commissioner Avinash Dhakne said, “This third party audit is important to get a review of our work. Based on the report, the civic body’s focus is on teacher development and technology-integrated classrooms to improve the quality of education in municipal schools.”
Milind Mhaske, CEO of Praja Foundation, said that corporators and local school management committees must play a stronger role in improving governance and planning at the school level. Strengthening these systems will be key to improving the functioning of BMC schools in the coming years, he said.
