Eleventh Five Year Plan

4 Eleventh Five Year Plan3.503.203.002.49Children (crore)2.502.001.501.001.161.350.950.700.500.002001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07(July '06)Source: Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD).FIGURE 1.1.2: Reduction in Out-of-School Childrenneither in the school nor in the labour force but doingdomestic work, mostly sibling care. It is well documentedthat the presence of female teachers often servesas a role model for girls and positively influencestheir enrolment and attendance. But, then, in theeducationally backward States, there are few womenteachers to particularly attract girls to school andretain them. 21.1.18 SSA stipulates that 50% of additionallyrecruited teachers should be women. Given theemphasis on improving girls’ enrolment, which is criticallydependent upon the presence of female teachers,there is a need to increase the proportion to 75% inthe recruitment of female teachers in educationallyfragile States.TABLE 1.1.2Number of Female Teachers per 100 Male TeachersStates High States LowGoa 454 Bihar 24Kerala 273 Jharkhand 26Pondicherry 279 MP 36Tamil Nadu 221 Rajasthan 38Delhi 221 UP 40Source: Selected Educational Statistics, 2004–05.1.1.19 The fact that children drop out of school early orfail to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills partiallyreflects poor quality of education. 3 The average schoolattendance was around 70% of the enrolment in 2004–05. In States like UP and Bihar, the average attendancewas as low as 57% and 42%, respectively. One-third ofthe teachers in MP, 25% in Bihar, and 20% in UP donot attend schools. 4 Besides, the repetition rates in suchStates are also very high, resulting in wastage of humanand material resources. Teacher attendance, ability, andmotivation appear to be the weakest links of elementaryeducation programmes. Lack of universal pre-schooling(Early Childhood Care and Education, ECCE)and consequent poor vocabulary and poor conceptualdevelopment of mind makes even enrolled children lessparticipative in the class, even for learning by rote. 5TABLE 1.1.3Dropout Rates by Social Composition, 2004–05Categories Primary (I–V) Elementary (I–VIII)Boys Girls Total Boys Girls TotalSCs 32.7 36.1 34.2 55.2 60.0 57.3STs 42.6 42.0 42.3 65.0 67.1 65.9All 31.8 25.4 29.0 50.5 51.3 50.8Source: Selected Educational Statistics, 2004–05.2UNESCO (2007), EFA-Global Monitoring Report.3ibid.4MHRD (2007), PPT Presentation in the Steering Committee meeting held in Planning Commission.5Lynn Erickson (2007), Concept Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom, Crowing Press, A Sage Publication Company,Thousand Oaks, California, chapter 5, p. 98.