Sub-problem

In West Bengal far fewer schools offer the secondary stage than the foundational stage, so continuing requires leaving the local school

• State

UDISE+ state-wise data documents large gaps between the number of schools offering early stages and those offering the secondary stage. West Bengal is the clearest documented case, where the share of schools offering the secondary stage is a small fraction of those offering the foundational stage. This is a supply-side cause of dropout, distinct from household decisions, and it requires a different remedy — school mapping and provision, not retention incentives. Evidence confidence: Medium — well evidenced for the state documented; not verified as a national pattern, and it should not be stated as one.