Skip to main content

Gujarat's net enrollment ratio is worse than Bihar, Odisha, UP, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, says GoI report

By Our Representative
Gujarat’s net enrollment ratio, as percentage of the enrollment data of grade one (2008-09) and grade five (2012-13), including enrollment in unrecognized schools, is one of the worst in India, despite the loud talk of the annual celebration of the Kanya Kelavni school enrollment drive. This has been revealed in the new Flash Statistics of the 55-page report, “Elementary Education in India”, released by the Ministry of Human Resources, Government of India (GoI). According to the report, Gujarat’s net enrollment ratio at the lower primary level stood at 83.99 per cent as against the national average of 90.78 per cent, suggesting poor enrollment drive for the children of school-going age.
Computed on the basis of projected population by using Census 2011 single-age population, the data show that several major states, including the so-called Bimaru states like Bihar, with net enrollment ratio of 85.67 per cent, Odisha with 89.06 per cent, Uttar Pradesh with 96.87 per cent, Jharkhand with 97.64 per cent, and Chhattisgarh with 98.02 per cent, have had a better net enrollment ratio at the lower primary level (classes I to V) than Gujarat. Unesco defines net enrolment ratio as “number of children enrolled in primary school who belong to the age group that officially corresponds to primary schooling, divided by the total population of the same age group.”
Gross enrollment ratio, as against net enrollment ratio, includes children who are repeaters in their own class. To quote a World Bank document, “Gross enrollment includes students of all ages. It includes students whose age exceeds the official age group (e.g. repeaters). Thus, if there is late enrollment, early enrollment, or repetition, the total enrollment can exceed the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education – leading to ratios greater than 100 percent.” It insists, “Since the net enrollment rate excludes overage and underage students, it more accurately captures education system’s coverage and internal efficiency than gross enrollment ratio.”
In fact, as many as 20-odd states and union territories out of a total of 35 have had a better net enrollment ratio that Gujarat’s at the lower primary level – and the situation is not very different with the upper primary level (classes VI to VIII); in fact the rating at the upper primary level is equally bad. At the upper primary level, the net enrollment ratio of Gujarat in 2012-13 was 67.42 per cent. Though slightly better than the all-India average of 64.24 per cent, it was worse than several major states like Assam (70.20 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (75.26), Jharkhand (68.53 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (75.19 per cent), Maharashtra (71.51 per cent), and so on.
While calculating education development index (EDI), the report suggests that Gujarat may rank quite high in educational infrastructure, but school buildings and other facilities are not enough for quality education. It requires human inputs, which is where the state is poor. Gujarat ranks quite high in infrastructure both at lower and higher primary level, but as for the state’s “outcome index” – which include factors like average number of instructional days, teachers’ working hours, enrollment in government schools, enrollment of SC, ST and Muslim children, dropout rate, and transition from lower to upper primary level – Gujarat’s ranking is one of the worst in India.
Thus, Gujarat ranks No 29th among 35 Indian states and union territories in the outcome EDI at the lower primary level with a rating of 0.558 on a scale of one. Here, Tamil Nadu ranks No 1 with a rating of 0.916, followed by Chhattisgarh (0.832), Madhya Pradesh (0.737), Karnataka (0.790), Maharashtra (0.776), Andhra Pradesh (0.775), and so on. The “outcome index” of Gujarat at the upper primary level is no better, ranking No 20th among 35 Indian states and union territories. The same is true of “access index” – which is calculated on the basis of density per 10 square kilomtres, availability of schools per 1000 children, and ratio of lower primary to upper primary schools. Here, for lower primary schools, Gujarat ranks one of the poorest – 34th among 35 Indian states and union territories. At the upper primary level schools, Gujarat’s ranking is 15th.

Comments

TRENDING

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Religious divide 'kept alive' with low intensity communalism in Gujarat's cultural capital

By Rajiv Shah  A fact-finding report, prepared by the Mumbai-based non-profit, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), has cited the Vadodara Ram Navami violence of March 30 as yet another example of how, after the BJP consolidating its hold on political power in Gujarat post-2002 riots and at the Centre in 2014, the nature of communal riots has changed, underlining, as opposed to high-intensity violence earlier, now riots have become “more sub-radar and at a smaller scale, more localized”.

Urgency for next pandemic? But Mr Health Secretary, you're barking up wrong tree

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  The Union Health Secretary, Mr Rajesh Bhushan addressing the Health Working Group of G20 India, at Hyderabad on 05 June 2023, cautioned that the next pandemic would not wait for us to make global treaties and called on countries to work together.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Why continued obsession with adding more 'water guzzling' coal, nuclear power plants?

By Shankar Sharma*  The true concerns over water inefficiency in coal power plants have been known and have been highlighted many times in the past. A highly relevant study report by Prayas Energy Group had highlighted this fast looming threat to our society many years ago. But our authorities have been acting as though there can be no issue with water supply, and that additional coal power plants can be added indefinitely; even without any true relevance to climate change.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Caste, impact on Ayodhya area 'halting' BJP rulers to act against Brij Bhushan Singh

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Finally, the #WrestlersProtest has got international attention. The United World Wrestling (UWW),  condemning the treatment and detention of wrestlers and expressing its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations against Brij Bhushan Singh, accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers, has urged the "relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation."

76% Odisha govt school infrastructure in dilapidated state, 'undermine' RTE norms

By Our Representative  As many as 75.86% (5,421) elementary schools in Odisha do not possess a playground, depriving students of physical activity opportunities. Also, 75.68% (5,408) of schools require minor or major repairing, undermining the norms and standards stipulated in the Right to Education (RTE) Act.