The enrolment of students in government schools came down by 14.76% and 11.84% in secondary and higher secondary schools respectively between 2016 and 2021. The data was published in the report of CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) in a performance audit on the functioning of government schools in the state, reported The New Indian Express.
Private vs government schools
In the same period, government-aided and private schools saw an increase of 3.97% in secondary and 0.60% in higher secondary enrolment. While TN has a gross enrolment rate (GER) of 94.20% and 78.60% at secondary and higher secondary levels against the all-India rate of 79.89% and 53.80% respectively, the performance of private schools fuelled higher performance. Even though there was marginal improvement in 2022, the fall in the 2016-21 period is steep, the report said.
With regard to the accessibility of schools, it said there are 2,133 habitations without a high school within a five-km radius and 1,926 habitations without a higher secondary school within an eight-km radius in the state. Neither the commissioner of school education nor Chief Education Officers (CEOs) compiled data on school-age children residing in these habitations.
Not enough data on children
Though children residing in remote villages are provided transport and escort arrangement to the nearest schools under Samagra Shiksha, the scheme benefits only 7.17% of children due to a lack of data on school-going children in these areas. Due to this, the state could not accurately identify habitations that are eligible for opening new schools or upgrading existing schools to increase accessibility. The Geographic Information System (GIS) database would not be useful without this data, the report added.
Of 528 schools upgraded during 2016-21, a total of 515 did not meet the distance and student strength norms prescribed for the upgrade.
What has the government done so far?
In January 2021, a month before the code of conduct for the Assembly Elections 2021, came into force, the government upgraded 36 middle schools into high schools and 45 high schools into higher secondary schools.
Of this, 17 panchayat union middle schools and 20 high schools were marked by the commissioner of school education as 'not recommended'. The audit said these upgrades were based on extraneous reasons rather than on merit.
Government schools also didn't fare well when compared to private schools in terms of retention rate in Class X and pass percentage in both Class X and XII. The number of students scoring more than 60% in these examinations was significantly lesser in government schools.
