National Human Development Report: 2001 - Indira Gandhi Institute ...

NATIONAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2001 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS AND WELL-BEING 55Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) this ratio for agegroup 6-14 years was 63.2 per cent in 1993 as against 56 per cent in 1978.While the ratio increased marginally from 64.1 per cent in 1978 to 66.4 percent in 1993 for age group 6 to below 11 years, the increase in age group 11to 14 years was quite significant from 41.7 to 57.1 per cent, during this period.There are, however, certain inconsistencies between the age-specificenrolment ratios derived from the Census and that reported in theEducational Surveys. The Census data shows that this ratio is higher for agegroup 11-14 years as compared to age group 6-10 years in the year 1991,unlike the estimates derived for these age groups, from the EducationalSurveys for the year 1993. Also, for a number of States age-specific enrolmentratio is lower in 1993 as compared to 1978 as per the Educational survey. The52nd Round of NSSO gives age-specific enrolment ratios for the year 1995-96 for age groups 6-10 years and 11-13 years. It has estimated the ratio at 69per cent for age group 6-10 years and 72 per cent for age group 11-13 years.A study based on survey conducted by the National Council for AppliedEconomic Research, reports enrolment rates according to income classes forrural areas. According to this survey, 67 per cent of children in age group 6-14 years were enrolled in schools. The ratio was 60.6 per cent for thosebelonging to households with annual income less than Rs.20,000. It was 84.4per cent for those with household income of over Rs.62,000. This gave anincome gap of 1.39. The income gap is defined as ratio of enrolment rates inthe highest to the lowest income categories. At the State level the surveyshows not only lower enrolments in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan andUttar Pradesh across all income classes but a generally higher income gap inthese States than in Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Maharashtra.Net Enrolment Ratio refers to proportion of the population, of aparticular age group, enrolled at a specific level of schooling, to the totalpopulation in that age group. The ratio overcomes the shortcoming of bothgross enrolment ratio and age-specific enrolment ratio, as it captures agespecificenrolment of students in the classes they ought to be as per theprevailing norms for school enrolments. It is well known that students whostart early or late, as per the prevalent school enrolment norms, constitute alarge proportion of the total enrolment in schools in the developingcountries. In some countries information on the actual age of a child,particularly in rural areas is also, often, not available or is inaccurate. In suchcircumstances the use of net enrolment ratio as an indicator for schoolenrolments may not be reliable.Information on net enrolment ratio is available from two sourcesnamely, the Sixth All-India Educational Survey with 30th September, 1993as the date of reference and the 52nd Round of the NSSO for the year 1995-96. As per the Educational survey, net enrolment ratio for children in agegroup 6 to below 14 years was 57.5 per cent. In other words, of the childrenin age group 6 to below 14 years, 57.5 per cent were enrolled in classes I-VIII.The ratio was 64 per cent for boys and 50.4 per cent for girls. The ratio was62.2 per cent for children in age group 6 to below 11 years and 44.8 per centfor ages 11 to below 14 years. However, at State level net enrolment ratio forboys in age group 6 to below 11 years in Kerala was seen to be lower than orclose to that prevailing in a number of States like Assam, Bihar, Gujarat,Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.This is surprising, given the educational attainments in the State of Kerala.The NSSO data for 1995-96 gives a net enrolment ratio of 66 per cent forOnly when enrolledstudents are retained oversuccessive classes theindicator on enrolmentbecomes useful forcapturing educationalprogress of a society.