Enrolment ratio in A.P. schools below national average

No mechanism to collect data of out-of-school children: CAG report

Officials say that action plan is being prepared to improve the enrolment ratio and bring all children to school.

The gross enrolment ratio (GER) in schools is far below the national average in Andhra Pradesh.

While the national GER is 99.21% in primary schools, it is 84.48% in A.P.

Also, nearly one lakh children are drop-outs, indicating a Herculean task ahead for the officials as schools are reopening shortly.

The GER in upper primary schools is 83.96%, compared to the national 92.81%. In secondary schools, however, it is 79.15%, close to the national 80.01%.

Mobile App study

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in his observation, mentioned that the State government had failed to achieve 100% enrolment in 2016-17 despite taking various measures.

The GER in primary schools had declined to 83% in 2016-17, compared to 91% in 2010-11. However, in upper primary classes, it increased to 81% from 77% during the corresponding period.

Implementation of programmes such as ‘Badi Bata’, ‘Badi Pilustundi’ and ‘Mana Vooru Mana Badi’ have apparently failed to yield the desired result. This was vouched by the study conducted through the mobile App, ‘APGER’, which showed that 99,833 children were out of school in 2017-18.

The dropout rate is high compared to States like Kerala. However, it is below the national average of 5.13% in primary education. The dropout rate was 6.27% in 2015-16, which the government considers as base year.

But the CAG report for 2017 pointed out that there was no child-tracking mechanism to collect accurate data of out of school children.

“Action plan is prepared and all district Collectors, DEOs have been instructed to take action to analyse mandals and panchayats where the GER is of particular concern and make special efforts to enhance enrolment ratios and all children are brought to into schools,” said an official.

The Mandal Education Officers (MEOs) are ensuring to reduce the dropout rate at each stage by adopting appropriate measures. While 33,147 children enrolled in various drives like Badi Pilustondi, efforts were being made to enrol the remaining students into appropriate alternative schooling, he said.