Bihar is next only to Tamil Nadu when it comes to
enrolment of OBC girls in upper primary (Class VI to
VIII) level, leaving behind developed states like
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka.
The latest Central government report, prepared by
the National University of Educational Planning and
Administration (NEUPA), says Bihar has lesser dropout
girls past Class V than that in other states.
Bihar is also not far behind top-ranking states in
Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe girls’ enrolment in
primary and upper primary levels (Class I to VIII),
says the report.
According to the NEUPA report “Elementary Education
in India: Progress Towards Universal Elementary
Education”, Bihar recorded 65.25 per cent enrolment of
OBC girls in Class VI to VIII in 2010-11 as compared
to Tamil Nadu’s 68.81 per cent. The national average
stands at 40.27 per cent only.
Kerala, which has 100 per cent literacy, has 60.95
per cent enrolment in this category, followed by Uttar
Pradesh (50.33), Gujarat (49.63), Chhattisgarh
(49.81), Rajasthan (48.64), Jharkhand (48.52) and
Andhra Pradesh (46.54).
ST girls’ enrolment in primary school in 2010-11
was 48.46 as compared to the national average of 48.53
per cent.
In upper primary schools, Bihar ST girls recorded
47.46 per cent as compared to the national average of
48.16 per cent.
“The data shows our incentives like uniform and
bicycle schemes have been proving a draw. Though girls
get bicycles only in Class IX, the motivation keeps
good attendance in primary schools,” says Bihar
Education Project (a registered Bihar government body
focusing on elementary education) Special Project
Director Rajesh Bhushan.
Bhushan says the Central government report also
showed that Bihar had almost touched the national
average in SC girls’ enrolment in primary and upper
primary schools.
Over 6 lakh children below 14 years still do not go
to school in Bihar that has 71,000 schools with a
strength of 2.27 crore children.
The Special Project Director says the state targets
to bring all of them to school in the coming two
years.
