A national level survey has shown that the proportion of students taking tuition classes in India has increased to around 40 per cent in 2021. In 2018, that number was less than 30 per cent, but it has now risen to around 10 percentage points, according to the Sixteenth Annual Status of Education Report (Gramin), or ASER 2021, which was released earlier today.
As per the ASER report, there has been an increase in the number of tuition takers in all the states except Kerala. According to the survey, the numbers increased by gender and across all grades and school types. Tuition fees are higher for less privileged students.
Taking parental education as a proxy for economic status, the proportion of children with parents in the “LOW” education category increased by 12.6 percent, while those with parents in the “HIGH”. There has been an increase of 7.2 percent in children in the “EDUCATION CATEGORY” according to the survey report.
However, fewer students whose schools have reopened are taking tuition classes, said the survey report. While schools are showing some differences in the proportion of children taking tuitions when they reopen, tutoring classes are more common among children whose schools were still closed at the time of the survey.
ASER Shifts Students from Private to Government Schools, Most in UP and Kerala:
According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2021, there has been a marked shift from private schools to government schools in the last three years, with Uttar Pradesh and Kerala registering the maximum increase in government school enrolment. The report is based on a survey that was conducted in 25 states and three union territories.
Proportion of Girls Enrolled in Govt. Schools was Higher than that of Boys:
Even before CORONA-19, the proportion of girls enrolled in government schools was higher than that of boys of every class and age. This trend continues over time, it noted.
According to the report, the proportion of children currently enrolled in school increased from 1.4 percent to 4.6 percent in 2020. This change is seen in all grades and in both boys and girls. However, boys are still more likely to be enrolled in private schools than girls.
Among children aged 15-16, government school enrolment has increased from 57.5 per cent in 2018 to 67.5 per cent in 2021, driven by a significant drop in the proportion of children “OUT OF SCHOOL” to 12.2 per cent. This added up to 6.7 percent in 2018 to 2021, as well as a decrease in private school enrolment.
There is considerable variation in enrolment at the state level. The national increase in enrolment in government schools is driven by large northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, and southern states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
