Educational status of girls in three states
The proportion of out-of-school girls in India will fall to an all-time low (2 percent) in 2022. Despite the overall decline, three states — Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — have more than 10 per cent girls out of school, a report released on Wednesday said. The total proportion of out-of-school girls is 4.1 percent in 2018 and 10.3 percent in 2006.
Enrollment in schools has increased despite the pandemic
The latest study surveyed 3,74,544 households and 6,99,597 children between the ages of three and 16 in 19,060 villages in rural India. According to the report, school enrollment figures reached a record high of 98% despite prolonged closures during the pandemic. Admission in government schools is also increasing during this period. It says, ‘The enrollment rate for 6 to 14 year olds has been above 95 per cent for the last 15 years. These figures are expected to rise from 97.2 percent in 2018 to 98.4 percent in 2022 despite school closures during the pandemic.
From 2006 to 2014, there was a steady decline in the number of children (aged 6-14) enrolled in government schools. In 2014, this figure was 64.9 percent and remained unchanged for the next four years. It increased to 65.6 percent in 2018, which also increased during the Covid pandemic. Enrollment in government schools will reach 72.9 percent by 2022.
Highlights of the Report on School Education
- The number of girls in school is increasing. Now the trend of private tuition is increasing. About one-third of children in grades 1 to 8 take private tuition. Across the country, the number of people taking private tuition is up more than four percent from pre-pandemic levels. In some states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, the increase is up to eight percent. Over the past decade, the proportion of children in classes 1 to 8 has increased in rural India. West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand have the highest number of students taking private coaching. This figure is also increasing in Uttar Pradesh.
- In 2006, 10.3 percent of girls aged 11-14 were out of school across the country, a drop to 4.1 percent in 2018. This ratio is continuously decreasing. In 2022, 2 percent of girls aged 11-14 in India were out of school. This figure is around four percent in Uttar Pradesh and lower in all other states.
- The proportion of government schools with less than 60 children has been increasing every year over the last decade. The states with the highest number of small schools in 2022 are Himachal Pradesh (81.4 percent) and Uttarakhand (74 percent). These two states have the highest enrollment of schools.
- The average attendance of teachers was 85.4 percent in 2018, which increased to 87.1 percent in 2022. The number of schools with toilet facilities for girls has increased to 68.4 percent. The average attendance of students has remained at 72% for the past several years.
