Praja report flags 57% staff vacancies in BMC primary schools, raises retention concerns

Primary schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have a 57 per cent vacancy in teaching and non-teaching staff, while secondary schools face a 33 per cent vacancy, according to the State of Municipal Education in Mumbai 2026 report released by Praja Foundation on Friday.

The report also highlights concerns over student retention.

Of 100 students who enrolled in Class 1 in 2015-16, only 48 remained in the system till Class 10 in 2024-25.

About 18 per cent of students had an unclear or unrecorded status, indicating gaps in tracking mechanisms.

Despite this, enrolment in BMC schools has slightly increased from 41 per cent in 2015-16 to 44 per cent in 2024-25.

The report notes that the civic educationbudgethas grown from Rs 2,374 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 4,105 crore in 2026-27, with per-student spending rising from Rs 61,894 to Rs 1.32 lakh.

Praja Foundation also flagged a shift in medium preference.

Enrolment in Marathi and Hindi medium schools has fallen by 34 per cent and 39 per cent respectively over the past decade, while English medium schools have seen a 54 per cent increase.

Learning outcomes, however, show improvement.

The SSC pass percentage in BMC schools rose from 76.97 per cent to 92.2 per cent over the last decade, while the number of scholarship holders increased significantly in Classes 5 and 8.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakne said the growing preference for English medium schools reflects parents’ aspirations and highlighted the BMC’s investments in teacher training and educational reforms.

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