The Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER) across schools in FY22 improved across all levels, while drop out rates came down when compared to FY14, the latest Economic Survey has said. The GER is the total enrolment in a particular level of school education, calculated and mentioned as a percentage of the population of school-goers in that age-group.
According to the Economic Survey 2022-23, released on Tuesday, enrolments increased across primary (class 1-5), upper primary (class 6-8), secondary (class 9-10), and higher secondary (class 11-12) levels.
In FY22, some 26.5 crore children were enrolled in schools and 19.4 lakh additional children were enrolled in primary to higher secondary levels.
During the year, about one crore children were enrolled in pre-primary, 12.2 crore in primary, 6.7 crore in upper primary, 3.9 crore in secondary and 2.9 crore in higher secondary schools.
The GER in the primary-enrolment in class I to V—as a percentage of the population in age 6 to 10 years—for both girls and boys improved and “reversed the declining trends between FY17 and FY19,” the survey added.
At the primary level, 105 per cent girls and 102.1 per cent boys were enrolled in 2021-22, an improvement from 2019-20 when 104 per cent girls and 102 per cent boys were enrolled.
It may noted that a GER greater than 100 per cent may represent the presence of over- or under-age children at a particular level.
The GER in upper primary (enrolment in class VI to VIII as a per cent of the population in age 11-13 years), which was stagnant between FY17 and FY19, improved in FY22, the survey said. In 2021-22, 94.9 per cent girls were enrolled as opposed to 94.5 per cent boys. This was 90.5 per cent and 88.9 per cent for girls and boys respectively in 2019-20.
In corresponding age groups in primary and upper-primary levels, girls’ GER is better than boys.
Dropout Rates
In FY22, dropout rate at the primary level was 1.5 per cent, upper-primary levels (3 per cent) and secondary level (12.6).
In FY14, dropout rate at the primary level was 4.7 per cent, upper-primary level (3.1 per cent) and secondary level (14.5 per cent).
However, in FY21, drop out rate at the primary level was 0.8 per cent, upper primary (2.3 per cent) and secondary level (14 per cent).
Dropout rate is the percentage of students enrolled in a particular school level in a year but not enrolled in any grade the next year.
The survey said Samagra Shiksha, RTE Act, improvement in school infrastructure and facilities, residential hostel buildings, availability of teachers, regular training of teachers, free textbooks, uniforms for children, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and the PM POSHAN scheme played “an important role in enhancing enrolment and retention of children”.