Girls’ enrolment jumps up but dropout rate still high

The NCERT released data for its 8th All India Education Survey, a survey which covers over 13 lakh recognised schools across the country. Collected for the period 2002-09, the survey reveals that even though there was a 19.12% increase in girl’s enrollment, girls enrolled in the primary school stage, drop out as they move to higher classes.

While at the primary stage, the enrollment is 48.13%, at higher secondary stage, it is 42.56%. The trend is same across rural and urban areas. In Maharashtra, enrollment of boys is 53.19%, while that of girls is 46.80%.  The report revealed that 228,994,454 students are enrolled in various schools across the country, with a 13.67% growth rate in student’s enrollment. 

It also reveals a 26. 77% increase in total number of schools. The maximum growth rate was witnessed in upper primary schools at 49.15%, followed by higher secondary schools (46.8) and finally secondary (28.95) and primary (16.68).

On the positive side, it has reported a 30% increase in number of teachers across the country and an almost 50% increase in number of teachers at higher secondary schools in rural areas. 

However, the survey also revealed that 40% of primary schools have two teachers in each school. It also said schools in rural areas are still deprived of basic facilities like drinking water, usable urinal and playgrounds. “Still one-fifth of the total primary schools in rural areas do not have drinking water, three out of ten schools are without usable urinal facilities and about half of the schools do not have playgrounds”, it says.