Monday, September 10, 2007

Lietracy: India: Ground realities


Lietracy: India: Ground realities

In compare of 64.13 % literacy rate of man, woman literacy rate is as low as 39.29% though government surveys says that since 1950 woman literacy ratio is showing a sounding growth of Five times but still school going [from class I to Class V] is 78.89%.

In the age group of from ten to fourteen years 35% boys are illiterate while the girls are at 65%. Almost one third of the girls ,getting admission in class I, are not going to class II. In Kerala Literacy rate is 100% but in Rajasthan it lower down to just 42%.

The incomplete education rate of country is 39%.

Over 1 Lakhs schools are either solo school teacher or without teacher.

In the age group of from six to fourteen years almost 140 Lakhs children are among the non school going children.

About 32,000 human colonies [Villages] are without schools.

The ratio of continuing education at middle school level at world level is 71% but in India it is just 47%. Though it is projected that under the program "Education for All" this ratio will get boost and by the year 2010 it will go up to 65% but considering the time just over the two years left, it seems to be hard to achieve target.

Though it is said that in the tenth five year plan expenses on education are raised to 3.9% of GPD but it will be interesting to know that about Rs. 100 carores were shifted to other plans from the funding of "Education for All". Alone in the Jharkhand state about Rs. 50 carores were issued to non existing schools.

Before I conclude I wish to share a short story. Kamala was a village girl educated in the village primary school and was married with boy who was working in a company at near by city. When Kamala shifted to city, she found her education was of no meaning which was being reflected from complains of husband about the throwing of important papers to dust bin by her. Before she took complete measure of situations she become pregnant and went back to her mother's house as per the family traditions. She gave birth to twins. Soon the daughter and son started going to school and persist mother to help them in their home work. It was a humiliating experience for her as so many times she fail to cope with the questions from the kids. Kamala was prompted by her mother in law to join the Adult Education program. The story underlines three important things. [1] Standards of our primary education. [2] Availability of educational facilities in our country [3] Will of being educated in true sense.

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