Eleventh Five Year Plan

Education 15secondary and higher secondary schools (Annexure1.2.1). At the national level, the average number ofsecondary/higher secondary schools per 1 lakh populationis as low as 14 and it is lower than the nationalaverage in Bihar (4), UP (7), WB (10), and alsoJharkhand (4) and Chhattisgarh (12). The nationalaverage number of secondary and higher secondaryschools per 100 sq. km is only four, and Bihar, UP,Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand fall belowthis national average. Consequently, the GERin these States is lower than the national averageof 39.91%.TABLE 1.2.1Secondary Education—Enrolment andDropout, 2004–05S. Indicators Boys Girls TotalNo. Enrolment (in crore)1 Secondary (IX–X) 1.42 1.01 2.43(57.39) (45.28) (51.65)2 Hr Secondary (XI–XII) 0.74 0.53 1.27(30.82) (24.46) (27.82)3 Secondary & Hr Sec. 2.16 1.54 3.70(IX–XII) (44.26) (35.05) (39.91)4 Dropout (%) Rates (I–X) 60.41 63.88 61.92Note: Figures in the parentheses are GER.Source: Selected Educational Statistics (2004–05), MHRD.1.2.6 During the decade ending 2004–05, enrolmentat the secondary and higher secondary levels increasedat an average annual rate of 5.32%. During the threeyears of the Tenth Plan upto 2004–05, it increased at afaster rate of 6.75% per annum and an additional 7.5million children were enrolled. There will be furtheracceleration in secondary enrolments during theEleventh Plan period as the primary dropout rates aredeclining and the transition rate from primary toupper primary is getting closer to 90%.1.2.7 Nearly 60% of secondary schools are with privatemanagement both aided and unaided, almost inequal proportions. The share of government and localbody schools and private aided schools has shown adeclining trend with private unaided schools showingan increase from 15% in 1993–94 to 24% in 2001–02and further to 30% in 2004–05 (see Figure 1.2.1). Thedoubling of the share of private unaided schools indicatesthat parents are willing to pay for education thatSource: Selected Educational Statistics (2004–05), MHRD.FIGURE 1.2.1: Secondary Schools by Managementis perceived to be of good quality. The factors underlyingthis perception include better English teaching,better monitoring and supervision of students’ performance,better attention, attendance and accountabilityof teachers. There is, however, no evidence to showthat the enrolments in these schools are additional.Only those who can afford to pay apparently opt forthese schools and their average enrolment is muchlower than that in the aided and government schools.Public sector investment in secondary schools hastherefore to be increased even for incentivizing PPP.SC and ST Enrolments1.2.8 The secondary education GER for SCs and STs45.4% and 37.2%,are respectively, as compared to theoverall GER of 51.6% indicating a substantial socialgap in enrolments for these groups. The GER for girlsbelonging to SCs and STs is 37.6% and 30.5%, respectively,indicating a substantial gender gap in enrolmentfor these groups.Girls’ Education1.2.9 The Central Advisory Board of Education CommitteeReport on Girls Education noted a gross shortageof secondary schools for girls (both co-educationaland girls’ schools). The dropout of girls is extremelyhigh mainly in the northern States, not only becausethe parental priority for girls’ education is low, but alsodue to the poor access to schools in the rural areas.Opening of schools exclusively for girls appears to be