Gender enrollment ratio in secondary education

expansion and quality improvement of secondar

Though efforts are being made for expansion of secondary education, there is little information available on the current status and development concerns. It is, therefore, necessary to undertake diagnostic exercises for assessing the current status

CJ: SADAKET MALIK

Wed, Aug 05, 2009 10:36:41 IST

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Education in India :

SECONDARY EDUCATION has been till now one of the most neglected areas of government interventions in education. Besides enabling framework by the country's big banner Ministry of Human Resource Development, the country is yet to achieve a general enrollment ratio (GER) of 75 per cent for classes IX-X by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation.

Although efforts are being made by the states for expansion and quality improvement of secondary education, there is little information available on the current status and development concerns. It is, therefore, necessary to undertake diagnostic exercises for assessing the current status and to identify priority areas for planned intervention to improve access, participation and quality of learning.

In addition, the need is to create sustainable competencies and institutional arrangements at the sub-national levels required for planning and implementation of development initiatives in the secondary education sector. It may be reiterated that the states are yet to adopt a sector-wide approach for planning for expansion and quality improvement of secondary education.

However, given the strategy of decentralisation, the development of district level secondary education plan is essential for identifying and addressing issues and problems of expansion and quality improvement.

Until now, the role of the Central government in the development of secondary education has been relatively limited. It was financing the national level bodies like National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidylaya Samiti (NVS), etc and assisting states through select centrally-sponsored schemes. On an average, the Central government was spending around 12 per cent of the total expenditure on secondary education.

Now, in order to address the emerging challenges, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India is envisaging playing a larger role in the development and universalisation of secondary education in the country. It has proposed to introduce a centrally-assisted programme called the Scheme for Universal Access and Quality at the Secondary Stage (SUCCESS) during the 11th Five-Year Plan period.

Moreover, a significant progress is made in all the spheres of secondary education. On January 2, 2009, the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a centrally-sponsored scheme called the 'Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)'. The RMSA aims at achieving a gross enrollment ratio (GER) of 75 per cent for classes IX-X within five years by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation.

Ironically, more than 84 per cent habitations had secondary school section within a distance of eight kilometre as compared to 70 per cent within five kilometer. The number of unserved habitations declined from 21 per cent in 1986-87 to 15 per cent in 1993-94. During 1950-51 to 1999-2000, the number of secondary and higher secondary schools increased from seven thousand to 117 thousand. The increase (16 times) is much more rapid than the corresponding increase in the primary (three times) and upper primary (14 times) schools. In the latest decade (1990 to 99), more than 37 thousand secondary and higher secondary schools were opened.

The ratio of upper primary to secondary schools also improved from 1.83 in 1950-51 to 1.69 in 1999-2000.

The number of secondary/higher secondary teachers increased from 127 thousand in 1950-51 to 1,720 thousand in 1999-2000. Despite the increase in number of teachers, the pupil-teacher ratio increased from 21:1 in 1950-51 to 32:1 in 1999-2000; thus indicating significant increase in enrollment at this level. From a low 1.5 million in 1950-51, it has now been increased by more than 19 times to 28.2 million in 1999-2000.

The percentage of girls' enrollment increased from 13 per cent in 1950-51, to about 38 per cent in 1999-2000. Enrollment in secondary/higher secondary level increased by almost doubles the rate than the increase in the primary enrollment. The GER, though low but improved from 19.3 per cent in 1990-91 to 30.0 per cent in 1993-94 and further to 41.2 per cent in 1998-99. Almost 50 per cent children of age group 14-17 year were attending schools in 1995-96. The retention rate (I to IX) is also improved but still it is low at 27 per cent. The transition rate from upper primary to secondary level is as high as 85 per cent.

If the goal of universal secondary enrollment (grades IX-X) is achieved by 2015, enrollment in grade IX can also be projected accordingly. But one has to first define the meaning of universalising secondary education.

However, initially it may not be possible to achieve hundred per cent net enrollment and retention in the secondary classes. This is more so specific keeping in view the present status of elementary education in the country. Even, in developing countries that have achieved the goal of universal enrollment, it is not hundred per cent. Then, what should be the goal in the Indian context? May be it is 85, 90 or 95 per cent. Achieving universalisation of secondary education in 2015; thus means that 85/90 per cent children those who take admission in grade I in 2007 will reach grade IX in 2015.

Impressive progress has also been made at the primary and upper primary levels of education. But despite all these significant achievements, the goal to achieve universal elementary enrollment still remains far out of the sight. The goal of universal secondary education cannot be achieved unless the goal of universal elementary enrollment is achieved.

Of late, the quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms and remove gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, universal access to secondary level education by 2017, by the end of 12th Five Year Plan and universal retention by 2020, are the targets to be reached by the ministry within a stipulated period. The question here I apt to ask is that will India reach the beneficiaries within its plan to cover the target populace? Would the schemes and funds allocated be implemented as per the aspirations of the learners? Or is the strategy of the government functionaries fruitful to achieve the object? These questions need transparent answer from our strong academic community veering to universalise the whole system.

The government seems to have taken the first concrete step. In its final lap, the United Progressive Alliance government set in motion the process to ensure that children in the 15 to 16 years age group have access to affordable secondary (classes IX and X) education. RMSA is a reworked version of an existing centrally sponsored scheme for universalisation of access to and improvement of quality of education at secondary stage (SUCCESS). In doing so, it will subsume all existing central schemes geared for the secondary segment such as Information and communication technology (ICT) in schools, International Economic Development Council (IEDC), girls hostel scheme and vocational education.

The programme of RMSA has targeted universal access by 2017 and universal retention by 2020 as goals. At present the gross enrollment ratio, that is the percentage of children in the relevant age group who are in secondary school is merely 52.26 per cent. While the GER for classes XI and XII is a mere 28.54 per cent and for the four years of secondary and senior secondary (classes IX to XII) is 40.49 per cent. As per 2001 census, estimated population in the 14 to 18 age group as on March 1, 2007 was 9.69 crore.

There seemed certain bottlenecks while implementation of the schemes meant to universalise the middle school education. The linkage of government functionaries implementing the schemes of secondary education and the people on wheelchairs are absurdly poor. Whatever is seen in government approvals is not being practiced at the ground level, thereby the schemes meant for rural poor remained all on papers.

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