Himachal Scores In School Enrolment

Y.S. Rana

Kamla, a 10-year-old girl, woke up before dawn and sitting in front of traditional ‘chulaha’ learns basics of kitchen chorus. In addition, she wals nearly five kilometers to fetch grass for cattle. It was a common scene in every household in Himachal Pradesh when life was extremely harsh and tedious for girls some two decades ago. Now Kamla sent her children to school and came to know the importance of education while she was getting education in an adult centre. Today, a number of Kamlas have a different story to tell. Thanks to the ‘schooling revolution’ of the state government supported by parents. Now one may find young girls carrying heavy bags on dropping shoulders, cheerfully measuring the mountainous terrain with the hope of a bright future writ large on their faces. All this possible as literacy has become an accepted norm across the state. The state government’s campaign to promote ‘schooling’ as an essential part of every child, especially of girl that takes their education at the top of the ladder. It is corroborated by the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), the first large panel survey conducted jointly by the National Council of Applied Economic Research and University of Maryland for two periods—2004-05 and 2011-12. It states that enrolment of girls in the age group 5-15 years in Himachal Pradesh was as high as 98.01% in 2011-12 against 92.2% in 2004-05. The state has also made remarkable decline in drop-out rate. As per survey it was 1.99% in 2011-12 against 7.98% in 2004-05. It means that more enrolled girls at primary level were continuing their education. While national drop-out rate was 9.6% in 2011-12 compared to 21.96% in 2004-05 which declined to 4.34% in 2013-14.. Its neighbourers—Punjab and Haryana—have drop-out rate nearly 4%. Educationists of the state revealed that there were two major factors that contributed a lot in expansion of education in the state. The government initiative to popularise adult education has provided booster dose to girl’s education. It was found that only 7.15% of adult members were illiterate while the remaining 92.84% had acquired education at various levels compared to all-India illiteracy rate of 24.33%. Adult education has encouraged the parents to send their children especially girls to school and 100% parents wanted to pursue education despite hurdles. As most of people prefer to send their wards to private schools which have easy accessibility. While in 2003-04 enrolment in private schools in the state was 77,000 students which increased to 2.57 lakh in 2015-16. Thus, Himachal Pradesh has done a lot of things right where educating the ‘Laadli’ is concerned. If the high primary level literacy figures in the state are maintained, the cherubic present day girls with their overloaded schoolbag, could soon become a role model for ‘Laadlis’ in other states, egging them on to pick up books and march towards a future filled with limitless hope and aspirations. There will be no surprise if the State has achieved 100% literacy in the days to come.

Critics Point Out

Critics have their own notion to the decline at primary level and stated that enrolment rate especially in primary school has taken a plunge downwards in 2014-15. It is stated that enrolments have come down from 5.89 lakh students in 2004 to 3.23 lakh students in 2015. As per district information system for education (DISE)-2015-16—of 14.33 lakh students, 9.31 lakh students are in government schools. But critics do not see the other side of the coin. The state government has attributed major causes for this decline to low fertility rate as the state has already achieved total fertility rate (TFR) target since long while many states are struggling to achieve it across the country. Himachal has grown faster than the rest of the country and has the second lowest poverty headcount with high improvement in standard of living. It is also country’s leading states in terms of human development and best indicators in terms of gender equality and access to services. It has a per capita income which is higher than the national average.

More Impressive Than Kerala

The survey has also commented that in matter of ‘schooling revolution’, Himachal Pradesh is even more impressive than leading state in education- Kerala. Even the state has fared much better in the matter of education at primary level that its more prosperous neighbourers. Himachal spends twice the national average on education.

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