Secondary education under strain in India
The report, Secondary Education in India: Universalizing Opportunity, says that access to secondary education is today highly inequitable across income groups, gender, social groups, geography and states
EVEN AS the government has been announcing huge investments in the education sector, the latest World Bank report on secondary education in India is hardly flattering.
Fortunately, the government’s new ambitious schemes for secondary education will, over the next 10 years, provide young people with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the 21st century and help India catch up with other countries. India’s gross enrollment rate (GER) at the secondary level of 40 per cent is far inferior to the GERs of East Asia (average 70 per cent) and Latin America (average 82 per cent). Even countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, which have lower per capita incomes than India, have higher GER, the report says.Projections made in the report suggests an increase in absolute demand for secondary education between 2007-08 and 2017-18, with total enrollment growing from 40 to 57 million students. However, an increasing share of these students will come from rural and lower income quintile groups, who will be less able to afford private unaided secondary education. The report, Secondary Education in India: Universalizing Opportunity says that access to secondary education is today highly inequitable across income groups, gender, social groups, geography and states. Secondary enrollment rates also vary greatly across states — from 22 per cent in Bihar to 92 per cent in Kerala and from 4 per cent in Jharkhand to 44 per cent in Tamil Nadu. In some states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, enrollment of the general population at the secondary level is 80 per cent higher than that of SCs, STs and Muslims. The World Bank has agreed in principle to provide $ 500 million to India, which the country has asked as soft loan to fund the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).
The report noted 40 per cent gap in secondary enrolment rates between students from the highest and lowest expenditure quintiles. While there is 20 per cent difference in enrolment for secondary education in urban and rural areas, a persistent gap of 10 per cent exists between boys and girls.
"Secondary enrolment by state also varies greatly from 22 per cent in Bihar to 92 per cent in Kerala and from 4 per cent in Jharkhand to 44 per cent in Tamil Nadu. In states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the enrolment of general population is 80 per cent higher than for SC/ST and Muslims," the report said.
The World Bank states that the 40 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) India boasts is inferior to its competitors in the Far East (70 per cent) and Latin America (80 per cent).
Even countries with lower per capita income such as Vietnam and Bangladesh are ranked above India in terms of their GERs, the report points out. India has "a lot of catching up to do."
Uneven distribution of school infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, inefficient teacher deployment, sub-optimal use of private sector in expanding enrolment capacity and insufficient schooling opportunities are hurting India’s progress, the report states.
It also mentions that 27 per cent of India’s districts have less than one secondary school for every 1,000 youth in the age group of 15 to 19.
Low completion rate at elementary education places a limit on students ready to enroll in secondary schools. "Currently fewer than 60 per cent children complete grade VIII," the report said.
The fact that secondary education costs almost twice the average direct cost of the elementary level is no persuasion for poor families to enroll children in secondary school, it noted. What is needed is that the focus should be shifted from primary education to secondary education so as to achieve the target within a stipulated period. There are some other areas that need timely intervention by the scheme implementation agencies, viz innovative public-private partnership models to increase the number of secondary schools in the country. More teachers should be hired and trained and double shift teaching should be started wherever possible. The teacher training should be an indispensible forum of the internationally sponsored schemes in local settings otherwise the utopia we search for, will remain elusive.
The report noted 40 per cent gap in secondary enrolment rates between students from the highest and lowest expenditure quintiles. While there is 20 per cent difference in enrolment for secondary education in urban and rural areas, a persistent gap of 10 per cent exists between boys and girls.
"Secondary enrolment by state also varies greatly from 22 per cent in Bihar to 92 per cent in Kerala and from 4 per cent in Jharkhand to 44 per cent in Tamil Nadu. In states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the enrolment of general population is 80 per cent higher than for SC/ST and Muslims," the report said.
The World Bank states that the 40 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) India boasts is inferior to its competitors in the Far East (70 per cent) and Latin America (80 per cent).
Even countries with lower per capita income such as Vietnam and Bangladesh are ranked above India in terms of their GERs, the report points out. India has "a lot of catching up to do."
Uneven distribution of school infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, inefficient teacher deployment, sub-optimal use of private sector in expanding enrolment capacity and insufficient schooling opportunities are hurting India’s progress, the report states.
It also mentions that 27 per cent of India’s districts have less than one secondary school for every 1,000 youth in the age group of 15 to 19.
Low completion rate at elementary education places a limit on students ready to enroll in secondary schools. "Currently fewer than 60 per cent children complete grade VIII," the report said.
The fact that secondary education costs almost twice the average direct cost of the elementary level is no persuasion for poor families to enroll children in secondary school, it noted. What is needed is that the focus should be shifted from primary education to secondary education so as to achieve the target within a stipulated period. There are some other areas that need timely intervention by the scheme implementation agencies, viz innovative public-private partnership models to increase the number of secondary schools in the country. More teachers should be hired and trained and double shift teaching should be started wherever possible. The teacher training should be an indispensible forum of the internationally sponsored schemes in local settings otherwise the utopia we search for, will remain elusive.
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