SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher-secondary education has declined to 44.8%, showing a sharp drop in enrolment as students move from primary education to Classes XI and XII, according to a NITI Aayog report.
The report, “School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement”, shows a steady decline in enrolment across successive stages of school education. It raises concerns over the transition from secondary to higher-secondary education.
According to the data, J&K’s GER at the primary level is 113.7%. It falls to 77.3% at the upper-primary level, 66.1% at the secondary level and 44.8% at the higher-secondary level.
The issue is compounded by J&K’s secondary-level dropout rate of 12.9%, which is higher than the national figure of 11.5%. The data suggests that a significant number of students leave the education system before completing secondary schooling.
The NITI Aayog report also highlights concerns over the utilisation and distribution of schools and teaching resources in J&K. As per the data, 146 schools in the Union Territory have zero student enrolment. However, 61 teachers are posted in these schools.
The report further shows that 1,371 schools are functioning with only a single teacher. A total of 32,303 students are enrolled in these schools, raising questions over teacher availability and the quality of education being provided in such institutions.
The report also flagged gaps in school infrastructure, particularly in the adoption of technology and accessibility for children with special needs. Only 16.5% of schools in J&K had functional smart classrooms, placing the Union Territory among the lowest performers nationally.
Access hit
The limited availability of tech-enabled classrooms could affect students’ access to modern learning
Only 45.4% of schools had ramps for children with special needs