Primary Education Status

As per ASER 2016 report

• Only 26% of enrolled students in Class V can divide 3 digit numbers by one digit number. This was 42.5% in 2007.
• Only 47.8% of enrolled students in Class V can read a text of class II. This was 45.9% in 2007.
• Only 20% of enrolled students in class III are at grade Level. Minimum was 10% in Utter Pradesh.
• 3.1% of children in age bracket 6-14 are not enrolled in schools. This was 4.2% in 2007.

PRIMARY EDUCATION

Let’s do a simple calculation here – in the 2014-15 total expenditure of both Center & State government on primary education was 208989 crore. As per Census 2011, there are 351,031,984 children in the age bracket of 0-14 years. Say 70% of these are in the age bracket of 4-16 years and goes to school. Assuming 100% enrollment and further 20% going to private schools. Therefore, children who go to government schools is 56%. Then in 2014-15 government expenditure on each child was approximately Rs. 900 per month.

Student enrollment has increased, government expenditure has increased in nominal terms but the performance of students has deteriorated. Now question is – Why there is deterioration in Quality? Does this much expenditure is justified for such poor performance?