Siddhartha Dutta: Mizoram vs Kerala

Historians believe that the Mizos are a part of the great wave of the Mongolian race spilling over into India centuries ago. They came under the influence of the British missionaries in the 19th century and 87 per cent of them are Christians. One of the many impacts of missionary activities has been the spread of education "" they also introduced the Roman script for the Mizo language. The Young Mizo Association plays a vital role in spreading literacy and education. The cumulative result is a high literacy rate of 89 per cent in 2001 compared to 82 per cent in 1991, the second highest in India after Kerala with 91 per cent literates (90 per cent in 1991). Looking at the male-female literacy gap, Mizoram overtakes Kerala with the smallest gender gap of 4.56 per cent compared to Kerala's 7.45 per cent.

Despite the high literacy attainments, a curious aspect is the high dropout rate from primary schools in Mizoram. According to the ministry of human resource development, the drop out rate is 56 per cent from primary schools, and by the 10th standard, 70 per cent drop out. Though this figure is higher than the national average, it is almost at par with most other north-eastern states. Often accessibility issues are cited as reasons behind dropouts. But the Seventh Education Survey (2002) shows good school penetration in Mizoram "" around 89 per cent of rural habitations have primary schools within them. On the other side in Kerala, which shows a zero dropout at the primary level, only 61 per cent of rural habitations have primary schools within them and 79 per cent have access to primary schools (including those within) located within 1 kilometre. But when it comes to school facilities, the situation is reversed "" 21 per cent of Mizoram's primary schools have pucca buildings compared to 91 per cent in Kerala, revealing scope for improvement in school infrastructure.

For a highly literate state, the fact that a majority of the students discontinue their formal schooling at the primary level is a matter of concern. Poverty does not appear to be a valid reason for such a high dropout rate "" Mizoram's per capita income of Rs 10,833 matches Kerala's Rs 11,605 in 2002-03 (CSO figures). In terms of asset penetration also Mizoram is almost at par with Kerala in terms of households owning TVs, two-wheelers, four-wheelers and so on.

So we see two states with high literacy and similar income levels and radically different school data. In Kerala, students pursue their education in the state and migrate in search of employment. Not so in Mizoram, where the limited job opportunities seem to deter many from completing schooling. It is also true that many students migrate in the search of better quality education. Lack of higher educational institutions and good quality of teaching push students towards Shillong, Guwahati and Kolkata.

The state government aims to overtake Kerala in literacy, but it should place extra emphasis on improving the educational completion rates within the state. Mizoram has great potential to become a leader in the region "" the base has already been set, what remains is to revamp schooling and utilise its human resources much more efficiently than it has done so far.

The author works for Indicus Analytics Pvt Ltd. He can be contacted at siddhartha@indicus.net