The State of Elementary Education in Rural India Report
Recently a report on the status of education in rural India has been released.
The report has been prepared by the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU), an initiative of the Transforming Rural India Foundation (TRIF) and Sambodhi Pvt Ltd.
Key findings of report:
- Aspirations: 78% of parents in rural India aspire to take their daughters to graduation and beyond.
- School dropout: 35% of girls drop out during primary schooling. In the case of boys, this number is 25%.
Reasons for drop out:
- Schools with higher classes (i.e. secondary and senior secondary) are not close to home.
- Lack of ability to bear the cost of school education.
- For girls: Being busy with household chores and taking care of siblings at home.
- For boys: Engaged in work to meet the income requirements of the family and lack of interest in studies.
- Access to smart phones: Students studying in classes 8 and above have more access to smartphones (58.32%).
Recommendation: Community ownership of schools and community/parent involvement can address the current trust deficit in school education.
Government Initiatives for Education: Holistic Education, Mid Day Meal, Right to Education Act, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and PM Poshan Yojana etc.
Source – Indian Express
