Primary education in India

I belong to a middle class, upper caste family in an unknown village in Bihar where parents emphasizes more on getting educated. But whenever I came across the kids of lower caste or lower class families I wondered why they are in such a pathetic condition and deprived of all the basic amenities like food, health and most importantly education; I only realized about all these things during my growing years.
The main reasons behind their poor condition are as follows:
(a). Extreme poverty.
(b). Caste discrimination (Now a days it is not relevant in my village).
(c). Inaccessibility of government schemes.
(d). Corruption.
(e). Most importantly lack of interest in getting educated.
Poverty and discrimination force poor parents to send their kids to earn bread & butter rather than to school. Hence these kids loose interest in studies. Corruption and Inaccessibility to government scheme also lead them far from being literate.
These statements are true not just about my village only but it is common to allover India. India during the days of Takshshila, Rajgriha, Bikramshila and Nalanda used to be the center of education around the world. But now a days when its GDP is expected to cross the mark of 7% and stock market soaring high despite global meltdown the statistics are not that much impressive on education front.
India's education %ge still hovers around 60% and more than 40% of its population is still uneducated or illiterate.
A recent survey shows that despite of having 40% of population under the age of 15 years of age. 15 out of 100 kids doesn’t go to school and among 85 who so 50% could not proceed further than Vth grade.
The main reason for such a drop-out rate is the extreme poverty among the people. Though the private education market in India is estimated to be worth of 40 billion 8 in 2008 and will increase to $68 billion in 2012. yet most of the Indian family could not afford to send their kids to these schools.
Another reason for low literacy is lack of educational institution in India. As of 2008, India’s post-secondary high school offers only enough seats for India’s 7% of college age population. 25%of teaching position nation wide are vacant and 57%of college professors lacks either a master’s or PHD degree.
Meager fund spend by government is also no sufficient to improve its education level. India spends only 3.3% of its GDP while develop countries spends almost 5.8% for same. But on defense sector India spends India spends almost 12.5% of its GDP which higher than its education expense.
The absenteeism among teacher and teaching staffs also led to lowering of interest for education among students. ’A survey shows that 1 out of every 4 teachers could be found absent on any given time and 50% among these esteemed professionals does not willing to take class at any moment (I had seen this in my village school as well and it left a huge imprint in my mind hence prompted me to put my efforts in bringing changes ).
• Subsequent government after independence tried to raise education level in India and put their best efforts in doing so. The District Primary Education Program (DPEP) was launched in 1994 with an aim to universalize primary system in India by reforming and revitalizing education system. 85% of DPEP was funded by Central Government while 15% was funded by the states. DPEP which had opened 160000 new schools including 84000 alternative education institutions delivering alternative education among 3.5 million children was also supported by UNICEF and other international programs.
• This primary education scheme has also shown a high Gross Enrollment Ratio 93%-95% for the last three years in some states.
• Significant improvement in staffing and enrollment of girls has also been made as a part of this scheme.
The current scheme for universalization of education for all is the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, Which Is One Of The Largest Education Initiative In the world. Enrollment has been enhanced but the level of quality remains low.
But hopefully the scenario is going to be change as today’s youth is much more eager and enthusiastic to bring changes for the betterment of nation. Lots of NGO’s and initiatives by differerent individuals putting their best effort to change the course of time.


Let us put our hands together to make India The best nation in the world and help in improving the education status in nation.


Amitesh