Skip to main content

Citing CAG, budget analyst says, Gujarat govt figures on dropout, enrollment in primary schools are "false"

CAG figures quoted by Jethmalani
By Our Representative
Contradicting Gujarat government claims – as reflected in a Government of India book, “Elementary Education in India”, of June 2014 – that dropout rate of lower primary schools went down from 2.99 per cent in 2010-11 to 0.74 per cent in 2012-13, latest report of India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) suggests that the dropout rate was, actually, 19.48 per cent in 2013. CAG confines itself to analysing enrollment in government schools over the years, even as surveying as many as 300 schools to identify infrastructure reasons behind poor enrollment.
Revealing this, Mahender Jethmalani, who heads Pathey, an independent non-profit budget analysis centre in Ahmedabad, told a seminar organized by a high-profile NGO, Child Rights and You (CRY), “The huge difference between the government data and that of the CAG report should be challenged appropriately.”
Jethmalani, who made a detailed presentation on the wide gap between state data and CAG observations, said, the data collected by CAG suggest as many as 9,76,890 children were enrolled in class one in 2008‐09, but the number of students who reached class five was 7,86,590 in 2012‐13, suggesting a dropout of 1,90,300. This comes to 19.48 per cent, as against the state government claim of just 0.79 per cent dropout.
The figures further suggest that in 2010-11, as many as 758971 children enrolled themselves in class VI, but 6,50,648 remained in class VIII, which means that 1,08,323, or 14.27 per cent children further dropped out.
The data also suggest that there was a progressive decline in the number of children who enrolled themselves every year. Thus, 9,76,890 children were enrolled in class 1 in 2008-09, while the enrollment was 7,68,980 in 2012-13. The figures, in fact, suggest each year there was a progressive decline in enrollment.
Jethmalani said, “The drop in the rate of enrolment in government schools and high dropout rate from these schools could be attributed to in adequate infrastructural facilities and basic amenities and teachers in these schools.” He added, CAG cited reasons like “lack of all weather building schools, classrooms, toilets, drinking water, play grounds, compound walls, teachers etc.”, as the main reason behind the dropout and fall in enrollment.
Source: CAG's report on local bodies of Gujarat in Jethmalani's presentation

According to Jethamalani, CAG’s audit, conducted in 10 district, namely Ahmedabad, Anand, Banaskantha, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kachchh, Kheda, Porbandar, Rajkot and Surrendranagar, suggested that of the 300 schools surveyed, “48 schools did not have their building and 56 school building were dilapidated and 4 out of 10 districts checked 14 schools did not have their own buildings.”
CAG further found that schools without adequate class rooms 3,146 schools (10%) out of total schoos 31545, were functioning without adequate class rooms as on July, 201). In 397 primary schools and 181 upper primary schools only one class room each was available, and in 2,568 upper primary schools only two class rooms per school were available. “The percentage of inadequacy of class rooms in the state ranged from 1% in Surat from 53% Jamnagar”, Jethmalani said.
Then, there were schools without separate toilets for boys and girls. “The CAG audit report noticed that out of the 300 schools it surveyed, 26 schools did not have separate toilets 9%). Then, 45 of schools (15%) visited had un‐usable toilets, in 35 schools, water was not available in the toilet, water connection was not provided.
Further, “17 schools did not have drinking water facility, 105 schools were not provided water purifiers, in 53 schools water purifiers were not working , 175 schools were lacking the safe and drinking water facilities”, Jethmalani said, adding, CAG only corroborates the findings of CRY (click HERE to read).

Comments

TRENDING

'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.

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".

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India

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.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam*  The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

Polygamy in India "down" in 45 yrs: Muslims' from 5.7 to 2.55%, Hindus' 5.8 to 1.77%, "common" in SCs, STs

By Rajiv Shah Amidst All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) justifying polygamy, saying it “meets social and moral needs and the provision for it stems from concern and sympathy for women”, facts suggest the the practice is down from 5.7 per cent of Muslim families in 1961 to 2.55 per cent in 2006.

India joining US sponsored trade pillar to hurt Indian farmers, 'promote' GM seeds, food

Counterview Desk  As many as 32 civil society organisations (CSOs), in a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and India joining the trade pillar, have said that its provisions will allow the US to ensure a more favourable regulatory regime “for enhancing its exports of genetically modified (GM) seeds and GM food”, underlining, it will “significantly hurt the livelihoods of Indian farmers.”

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.

Modi govt 'wholly untrustworthy' on Covid data, censored criticism on pandemic: Lancet

By Rajiv Shah*   One of the world’s most prestigious health journals, brought out from England, has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government for being “wholly untrustworthy on Covid-19 health data”, stating, the “official government figures place deaths at more than 530 000, while WHO excess death estimates for 2020 and 2021 are near 4·7 million.”

Savarkar 'opposed' Bhagat Singh's, Netaji's dream of India, supported British war efforts

By Shamsul Islam* In a shocking development, the student wing of the RSS put the busts of martyrs Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose with Savarkar's on one pedestal at the University of Delhi late in the night on August 20, 2019. Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life for a socialist-democratic-secular republic and Netaji raised Azad Hind Fauj (INA) consisting of people of all religions and regions for armed liberation of India.