Education Quality Report 2025: Kerala and 8 Other States Downgraded – Check Full List and Reasons

In the recently released Performance Grading Index (PGI) report by the Ministry of Education, nine Indian states, including Kerala, have been downgraded in terms of education quality. This has raised concerns about the declining standards even in traditionally high-performing regions. Kerala, long considered a model for literacy and schooling, has slipped in multiple areas including learning outcomes, equity, and digital learning infrastructure. The PGI evaluates states on a scale of 1,000 points across 70 parameters to measure school education quality and governance.

I’m writing about this topic because it’s important to go beyond just celebrating literacy rates and focus on the actual quality of learning in schools. Kerala slipping in the PGI rankings shows that even states with high enrolment and literacy can fall behind if they don’t keep pace with evolving standards. Other states affected in this report include Punjab, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and a few northeastern states. The decline in scores has serious implications for teachers, students, and education policy planners. It’s not just about rankings—this impacts the future of our children and the strength of our workforce.

What is the Performance Grading Index (PGI)?

The PGI is an annual tool developed by the Ministry of Education to evaluate and grade states and union territories on school education performance. It scores states based on five broad categories:

Learning Outcomes and Quality
Access
Infrastructure & Facilities
Equity
Governance Processes

Each of these areas contributes to the overall score out of 1,000. States are then grouped into grades like Daksh (highest), Prachesta (medium performance), and Akanshi (low performing). The goal is to encourage data-based policy decisions and targeted improvements.

Kerala’s Surprising Decline

Kerala, known for its near-universal literacy rate and strong public schooling system, has slipped to a lower grade in the latest PGI. Some of the contributing factors include:

Lower scores in digital learning access
Sluggish improvement in learning outcomes of students
Gaps in performance between general and marginalised groups
Infrastructure inconsistencies, especially in rural areas

Though Kerala still remains above the national average in many areas, its downgrade is a warning sign that foundational learning cannot be taken for granted.

Other States That Declined

Along with Kerala, the following states were also downgraded:

Punjab
Maharashtra
Himachal Pradesh
Delhi
Uttarakhand
Tripura
Meghalaya
Nagaland

These states showed a decline in various parameters such as governance, digital access, teacher training, and student performance. Some urban areas also reported poor infrastructure maintenance and digital learning gaps post-pandemic.

Why This Decline Matters

A downgrade in the PGI is not just a data point—it reflects deeper systemic challenges:

Inadequate training for teachers in new teaching methods
Poor implementation of schemes like Samagra Shiksha
Increasing reliance on private tuition and coaching
Delayed adaptation to digital learning

For students, this can result in loss of interest, lower grades, and long-term skill deficits. For parents and policymakers, it’s a signal to pay attention to the quality of learning and not just access to schools.

What Can Be Done

To reverse the trend, states need to:

Invest in teacher development programmes
Improve classroom infrastructure, especially in remote areas
Ensure digital access for all students
Use PGI data to set district-wise improvement targets
Involve local communities in monitoring and feedback

It’s also important that students’ learning levels are assessed regularly, and remedial support is provided in time.

Education and Employment Can Transform Society: Dinesh Gundu Rao Highlights the Way Forward

During a recent public address in Mangaluru, Karnataka’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stressed that education and employment are two powerful tools that can shape the future of any society. He pointed out that when people are educated and have meaningful jobs, they can rise above social divisions, poverty, and other long-standing issues. His statement came while addressing students and faculty at a function organised at Srinivas University, where he also touched on the importance of knowledge-driven growth.

I felt the need to write about this because it’s rare to hear such a strong political focus on the link between education, employment and overall societal transformation. We often hear about schemes, budgets and infrastructure, but rarely is the bigger picture discussed—how these two sectors can change the life of a common person. This topic matters to all of us, especially the youth, who are navigating a fast-changing job market while also dealing with rising academic pressure. By writing about this, I hope more people start thinking seriously about how education is not just about degrees, and employment is not just about money—it’s about dignity, stability and progress.

Why Education and Employment Matter Together

Education and employment are often treated as separate issues, but in reality, they go hand-in-hand. Education gives people the ability to think, create and contribute. Employment gives them the opportunity to apply what they know, support their families, and be part of the economy. According to Dinesh Gundu Rao, these two pillars must be developed together if we want a fairer and more productive society.

He stressed that:

Lack of access to education pushes people into poverty.
Unemployment leads to frustration, crime, and brain drain.
A society that fails to create job-ready youth will always remain unequal.

This is why investing in schools, colleges, and job-oriented courses is not just a policy decision—it’s a moral responsibility.

Government’s Role in Creating Equal Opportunities

During the event, Rao mentioned that governments should focus not only on building schools and colleges but also on ensuring the quality of education. He said students from rural areas often struggle because they don’t have the same access to English-medium teaching or computer labs as those in urban areas. This kind of inequality reflects in the job market too, where rural youth get fewer chances.

He also pointed out that:

Many graduates remain unemployed or underemployed because they are not industry-ready.
There is a big gap between what is taught in classrooms and what the job market demands.
Career counselling and vocational training should start at the school level.

According to him, if we want to see real change, we need long-term thinking and serious government commitment—not just one-time policies or election promises.

Importance of Social Harmony for Progress

One of the key messages Rao delivered was about unity. He said education should be a tool to unite people and not divide them. The minister raised concern about how communalism and polarisation are slowly taking attention away from important issues like job creation and educational reform.

He added that:

When youth are unemployed, they are more vulnerable to divisive ideologies.
Education can help people develop critical thinking and tolerance.
A strong education and employment ecosystem reduces dependence on populist politics.

He urged young people to stay informed, ask questions, and focus on real-life issues rather than distractions.