Arunachal inches towards universal school enrolment

Arunachal Pradesh is close to realising universal enrolment with the percentage of children in the age group of 6-14 enrolled in school at 95 or above, five years in a row, according to a survey report.
The percentage of children out of school in the age group of 6-14 years recorded in 2014 in the state is the lowest ever at 2.1 per cent, Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) facilitated by Pratham, recently released in New Delhi said.
ASER is the largest annual household survey of children in rural India that focuses on the status of schooling and basic learning.

Although enrolment levels are very high for the age group covered by Right to Education Act (6 to 14 years), the proportion of 15 to 16 year olds not enrolled in school is on the higher side, with 8 per cent of boys and 7.5 per cent girls in the same age group, currently out of school.
But it is comparatively lower than the national average of 15. 9 per cent for boys and 17. 3 per cent for girls in this age group, the report said.
The proportion of children enrolled in private schools in the state has increased from 2010.

Last year, 24.5 per cent of all 6-14 year old children in rural Arunachal were found to be enrolled in private schools. This is a big jump from 16.7 per cent in 2010.

Compared to the neighbouring states of Manipur and Meghalaya, the private school enrolment rates in the elementary stage in the state are low, but the figure is increasing every year.
ASER 2014 reached 9 districts and 229 villages including 4,928 households and about 9,086 children in the age group of 3-16 years in the state to conduct the survey.
According to the report, the situation with basic reading continues to be extremely disheartening in Arunachal.

In 2014, only 29.6 per cent of Std III children could read a Std I text fluently and only 44.4 per cent of Std V could read a Std II level text.
Even in Std VIII, only 73 per cent children can read Std II level text.