A recent survey: More students opt for higher education, but even more drop out

Accordingly to a recent countrywide survey which was conducted over the age group of 20-24 has recorded the highest rates of growth in several decades. This survey was being conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in 2009-10 was released this month. It looked into the employment and educational trends in the country.

Compared to the 1991-2000 period, the past decade (2001-10) saw attendance rates for the higher age group increase by 71% for boys and 110% for girls in rural areas. In urban areas, the growth rate was 40% for boys and 45% for girls. Although, the rise in percentage term is marked improvement over previous decades, the date shows that the picture remains dismal at the ground level. In 2009-10, the attendance rates were just 19% for boys and 8% for girls in rural area, in urban areas, the corresponding figures were 33% and 24% respectively. But this state of higher education compares badly with those in the 5-14 age group, where 87% of boys and 84% of girls were attending school areas, and 91% of all boys and girls in urban areas.

In urban areas, about 15% of males and 11% of females are graduate or above. This ratio is much higher than rural area where only 3.7% of males and mere 1.6 of females have gone up graduation or beyond. This is despite an explosion of private higher education institutions including universities in recent years.