India saw an increase of school enrolment from primary to higher secondary in 2021-22 with the figures standing at 25.57 crore, an increase of 19.36 lakh enrolments. The period also saw over 12.29 crore girls enrolled in primary to higher secondary, which showed an increase of 8.19 lakh compared to 2020-21, according the report on Unified District Information System for Education Plus.
The report also said that representation of females in school education was in line with representation of girls in population of corresponding age group. The GPI value at all level of school education are one or more implying more participation of girls in the school education.
SCHOOL ENROLMENT; MAJOR FINDINGS
- Number of Scheduled caste enrolment increased to 4.82 Crore in 2021-22 as compared to 4.78 Crore in 2020-21.
- Scheduled Tribe enrolment increased to 2.51 crore in 2021-22 from 2.49 crore in 2020-21.
- other backward students increased to 11.48 crore in 2021-22 from 11.35 crore in 2020-21.
- Total enrolment of Children with Special Needs (CWSN) in 2021-22 stands at 22.67 lakh as compared to 21.91 lakh in 2020-21 showing an improvement of 3.45% over 2020-21.
- 95.07 lakh teachers are engaged in school education during 2021-22 out of which more than 51% are female teachers.
- In 2021-22, the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) stood at 26 for primary, 19 for upper primary, 18 for secondary and 27 for higher secondary, showing an improvement since 2018-19. The PTR for primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary was 28, 19, 21, and 30 respectively during 2018-19.
- In 2021-22, total number of Scheduled Caste (SC) students from Primary to Higher Secondary has gone up to 4.83 crore from 4.78 crore in 2020-21. Similarly, total Scheduled Tribe (ST) students have gone up from 2.49 crore to 2.51 crore and Other Backward Caste (OBC) students from 11.35 crore to 11.49 crore during 2020-21 and 2021-22.
- Total number of schools in 2021-22 stood at 14.89 lakhs as compared to 15.09 lakhs in 2020-21. The decline in total schools is mainly due to closure of private and other management schools and grouping/ clustering of schools by various States.
School Infrastructure: Impact of Samagra Shiksha scheme:
The availability of basic infrastructure facilities in schools as on 2021-22 are as follows:
- Electricity connection: 89.3%
- Drinking water: 98.2%
- Girls toilet: 97.5%
- CWSN toilet: 27%
- Handwash facility: 93.6%
- Playground: 77%
- Ramp with Handrail for CWSN: 49.7%
- Library/ Reading room/ Reading corner: 87.3%
Sustainable Environment Initiatives for School
- Kitchen Garden: 27.7%
- Rain Water Harvesting: 21%