Student Flow at Primary Level - DISE

2 Student Flow at Primary LevelIn simple terms, universal retention at primary level means every childentering into the system through Grade I should remain in the systemup to Grade V. Universal retention under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan by 2007means that all children enrolled in Grade I in 2002-03 should continue inthe system and move up to Grade V by 2007. Depending upon theavailability of data and understanding of the concept of drop-out, indicatorsof drop-out are computed and analysed.Keeping in view the availability of data, an attempt has been made in thepresent study to discuss computation procedure of a variety of drop-outand survival rates. Since recent data on grade-specific enrolment andrepeaters are available only from DISE, the same are used to constructindicators of drop-out. Broadly the following indicators have been discussedin the present study:1. Survival Rate;2. Retention Rate;3. Grade-to-Grade Transition Rate: Promotion, Repetition and Drop-outRate;4. Average (Overall) Promotion, Repetition and Drop-out Rate;5. Re-constructed Cohort Method: Indicators concerning InternalEfficiency of Education System; and6. Transition from Primary to Upper Primary Level of Education.Most of the above indicators are constructed at the state as well as all-India level. In addition, they are also separately constructed for DPEP andnon-DPEP districts which present enough evidence about the impact oflarge scale programme, such as the DPEP on different aspects ofuniversalisation of elementary education. In view of the availability ofenrolment and repeaters data, a particular method for assessing drop-outand retention is applied. However, it is the True Cohort Method whichpresents true picture of retaining capacity of the system. A number ofstates have initiated child-tracking studies across the country but in viewof resource and time constraints, but it is not an easy task to undertakeTrue Cohort Method annually. Each and every enrolled child in a school istracked/monitored over a period of five years or till he/she remains inthe system to measure completion rate; thus it presents percentage ofchildren who complete primary level exactly in five years. This presentsan incomplete picture of the completion rate as there is a possibility of anumber of children still remaining in the system even after five years