On the World Teachers’ Day that falls on October 5th, UNESCO revealed its 2021 State of the Education Report for India titled “No Teacher, No Class”. The report uncovers significant data relating to the education sector in India.
Unified Reports and Objectives
The revelations made in this report are primarily based on the analysis of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data from 2018-19. The report’s main objective is to act as a benchmark for improving the execution of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) and furthering Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4c. SDG target 4c is focused on a substantial increase in the number of qualified teachers by 2030, especially in developing countries and small island states.
Report Findings: The Shortage of Teachers
India has close to 1.2 lakh single-teacher schools, with 89% of these schools being in rural areas. The report estimates that there is currently a shortfall of 11.16 lakh teachers in India.
The Performance of States in Terms of Female Teachers
In terms of female teachers’ representation, Tripura has the lowest number of women teachers followed by Assam, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan. Chandigarh scores the highest, followed by Goa, Delhi, Kerala.
Rise in Private Sector Teacher Employment
Private sector teacher employment grew from 21% in 2013-14 to 35% in 2018-19. The Right to Education Act mandates that the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) should be 30:1 for classes 1-5 and 35:1 for higher grades.
Digital Infrastructure Deficiency in Schools
In India, only 22% of schools have access to computing devices such as desktops or laptops, a figure that drops to 18% in rural areas compared to 43% in urban areas. Internet access in schools is only 19% all over India – just 14% in rural regions, while it’s 42% in urban areas.
Growth in Gross Enrolment Ratio
The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for elementary schools has increased from 81.6 in 2001 to 93.03 in 2018-19 and stands at 102.1 in 2019-2020. GER is the number of students enrolled, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the official school-age population for the same level of education. The retention rate is 74.6% for elementary education and 59.6% for secondary education in 2019-20.
Report Recommendations
The report recommends increasing the number of teachers and improving working conditions in North Eastern states, rural areas, and ‘aspirational districts’. Other recommendations include hiring more physical education, music, art, vocational education, early childhood and special education teachers, valuing the professional autonomy of teachers, building teachers’ career pathways, providing meaningful Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training to teachers, and developing teaching governance through consultative processes, based on mutual accountability.
Initiatives Taken
Several initiatives have been taken to improve the state of education in India, including NIPUN Bharat Mission, NISHTHA 2.0 (Teachers’ Training Programme), New National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, PM Poshan Scheme, Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
