Telangana state registered lowest government school enrollment in 2018-21

Hyderabad: Telangana fared lowest among the Southern States in the enrolment ratio of children in the government schools between 2018 and 2021.

Findings of the Annual Status of Education Report -2021 (ASER-2021) facilitated by 'PRATAHAM' on Wednesday pointed out that there was a maximum increase in the enrolment witnessed in UP and Kerala. Other than Telangana, more than eight per cent point increase was registered in government schools in the South. In many other States, there was no change or even decreased enrolment during the same period. It said there were wide variations across the States in the enrolment during the pandemic between 2018 and 2021

The enrolment percentage in the south in 2018 (with an increase of percentage in 2021 given in brackets) are Karnataka 69.4 (8.3); Tamil Nadu 66.7 (9.6);

Andhra Pradesh 62.2 (8.4); Telangana 56.4 (3.7). This is against the 'all-India' average enrolment percentage of 64.3 with an increase of 6.1 per cent during 2021.

During the same period, UP registered an increase of 13.2 per cent and Kerala showed an upswing of 11.9 per cent of enrolment in 2021.

The increase in the percentage in Telangana during 2021 was less than that in West Bengal, which registered 3.9 per cent. With an enrolment percentage of 3.7 per cent, Telangana is pegged, third from the bottom three States standing above Bihar and Jharkhand, which registered the lowest percentage of 2.8 and 2.5, respectively.

Similarly, the report said that (all-India) 67.6 per cent of children have a smart phone at home. But even in such households, 26.1 per cent children still have no access to smart phones.

Data of select States shows that the higher the percentage of families who have at least one smart phone in the home the lower the likelihood that children will have no access. Accordingly, the availability of at least one smart phone at homes in Tamil Nadu stands at 66.1 per cent with a percentage of 13.7 children having no access. Similarly, Karnataka has 71.6 per cent households with at least one smart phone, but 11.7 per cent children do not have access to phones.

In Andhra Pradesh, 72.3 per cent households have at least one smart phone at home, but 18.6 per cent children do not have access.

As against the other southern States Telangana has at least one smart phone in 79.3 per cent households. But, 23.9 per cent children do not have access which is the highest among the southern States. Kerala, with 97.5 households, has at least one smart phone at home pegged with only 2.6 per cent children lacking access. It is the lowest among the southern States.