New Delhi: Enrolment of girls has shown an impressive growth in schools, a government survey on Monday revealed though the figure went down in higher classes.
The eighth all India education survey for 2002-09 by NCERT said while the enrolment at primary stage stood at 48.13 per cent, it came down to 42.56 percent at higher secondary stage.
Similar trend was observed in percentage of girl`s enrolment in schools in rural areas. Officials, however, said it was difficult to attribute specific reasons contributing to this trend.
The survey covered more than 13 lakhs recognised schools across the country in each habitation, village and urban areas, out of which more than 84.14 percent schools were rural areas.
During this period, 228,994,454 students enrolled in different recognised schools of the country. 13.67 percent growth was registered in student`s enrolment from Class I-XII. In case of girls, the enrolment registered was 19.12 percent.
Carried out before RTE regime, the survey revealed that schools in rural areas were still deprived of basic facilities like drinking water, usable urinal and playgrounds.
One-fifth of the total primary schools in rural areas did not have drinking water, three out of 10 schools were without usable urinal facilities, and about half of the schools did not have playgrounds, it said.
It noted that there was a 30 percent increase in number of teachers in the country and the growth of teachers in higher secondary schools increased by 34 percent.
However, in case of higher secondary education in rural areas, the growth was almost 50 percent. Forty percent of the primary schools have two teachers in each school.
It said pupil-teacher ratio has improved from the last survey in primary, upper primary and secondary schools.
PTI
