EDUCATION AT MIDDLE STAGE
FREE and compulsory education has to be provided universally to the children up to the age of 14 years according to Article 45 of the Constitution of India. If we consider the age of entry to class I roughly 6+ we find that the State is committed to provide education to the children up to the end of class VIII. The middle stage constitutes 2 to 4 years of school education in continuation of 3 to 5 years of primary education depending upon the educational pattern prevalent in a State. It may well extend to first year of secondary education in the States where elementary education comprises classes I-VIL We are still far from achievement of this target as has been revealed by the recent surveys. According to the Second Survey (1965) only 30.15% of children of the age-group 11 to 13 years were in classes VI-VIII which marginally improved to 33.15% during the Third Survey (1973). The present Survey shows that this percentage has in- creased to 36.92 in 1978. Education of girls continues to be a weak link in our educational system. The percentage of girls in the age- group 11 to 13 years enrolled in these classes is still much lower than that of boys.
6.1 Schooling facility at middle stage It is not possible to open a middle school in every habitation because of scarce resources. Even if the country would launch such a stupendous project, the universal retention of children in schools would be doubtful, setting at nought the efforts and resources that would have gone into it. One can get some idea of the wastage from the decline in the number of children enrolled in the different classes from VI-VIII. Out of the total enrolment in classes VI-VIII the number of students in class VI, class VII and class VIII constitute 39.40%, 32.92% and 27.68% respectively. Therefore to maximize coverage, efforts to reduce wastage will have to be made along with the efforts to increase intake by providing more schooling facility. The main criteria for providing new educational facility to a habitation will be its population size and the distance that the children of a particular age-group can easily walk to and from the school. At the time of the First Survey a separate middle school was proposed for a habitation with a population of 1500 or more. A separate school was proposed for a group of smaller habitations with a total population of 1500 or more within a radius of 4.8 km (3 miles) or less. This criterion varied from State to state depending on the topography and other geographical conditions to allow for adjustment in dispersal of educational facilities over the entire State. The distance of 4.8 km (3 miles) was considered to be a convenient walking distance for assessing the adequacy of educational facility at this stage at the time of the Second Survey. During the Third Survey a habitation was considered to be served with a middle stage if it had a middle school/section within a walking distance of 5 km which was more or less the same as in the earlier surveys. The development of educational facility at this stage in the course of last four surveys is as under :
Percentage of habitations served
Survey Within a walking Within
distance of 3 miles/5 km habitation
First (1957) 50.34 3.13
Second (1965) 72.39 7.07
Third (1973) 78.43 8.69
Fourth (1978) 85.52 10.74
54 FOURTH ALL-INDIA EDUCATIONAL SURVEY
The Second Survey revealed that 82.2% of the rural population was served with a middle section within the habitation or within a walking distance of 4.8 km (3 miles) including about one-fourth (25.45%) population that was served within habitations. The position did show some improvement at the time of the Third Survey when these percentages stood at 86.91 and 28.86 respectively on the criterion of 5 km distance.
6.2 Findings of the Fourth Survey In some States like Gujarat classes I-VII constitute the elementary stage, which has been divided into two sub-stages, primary (classes I-IV) and middle (classes V-VII) for the purpose of consideration of schooling facilites at these stages. The middle stage or section for the purpose of this survey is the same as recognised by a State depending upon its pattern of education. Out of the 9,64,664 habitations in respect of which information is available 1,03,604 (10.74%) have middle sections in them; and 6,44,971 (66.86%) and 8,25,022 (85.52%) habitations have middle sections up to a walking distance of 3 km and 5 km respectively. The percentage of population that is served with a middle section up to a distance of 5 km is 92.09. It includes about one-third (33.47%) of the rural population that is served by a middle section within the habitation.
6.2.1 Population slab `5000 & above' In all, there are 4,407 habitations with a population of 5,000 or more, out of which 3,927 (89.06%) have middle sections in them. The percentages of habitations in this population slab, served, up to a distance of 3 km and 5 km are respectively 97.82 (4,311) and 99.16 (4, 370). If we consider population that is served with a middle section within the habitation we find that 90.13% of the population in this slab is thus served. Percentages of population in the slab served within a distance of 3 km and 5 km are respectively
STATEMENT 6.1
Habitations and population in rural areas according to middle
schooling facilities available within various distance slabs
Habitations having middle sections Population served by middle sections
Distance slab (in km) Number Percentage Population Percentage
1 2 3 4 5
Within the habitation 1,03,604 10.74 17,04,13,763 33.47
0.1 to 1.0 1,57,705 16.35 6,66,99,524 13.10
1.1 to 2.0 2,07,714 21.53 9,05,16,939 17.78
2.1 to 3.0 1,75,948 18.24 7,37,25,377 14.48
Sub-total
(up to 3.0) 6,44,971 66.86 40,13,55,603 78.83
3.1 to 4.0 1,05,563 10.94 4,02,14,513 7.90
4.1 to 5.0 74,488 7.72 2,73,63,716 5.37
Sub-total
(up to 5.0) 8,25,022 85.52 46,89,33,8329 2.09
More than 5.0 1,39,642 14.48 4,02,29,596 7.90
Total 9,64,664 100.00 50,91,63,428 100.00
EDUCATION AT MIDDLE STAGE 55
98.03 and 99.07. The number or habitations of this size having schooling facilities beyond 5 km has reduced from 66 during the Third Survey to 37 now, reducing the percentage of unserved population by about one-half
6.2.2 Population slab '2000-4999' The number of habitations served with a middle section in them is 23,745 constituting about two-third (67.71%) of the total number of 35,069 habitations in this slab. The percentages of habitations in the slab served within distances of 3 km and 5 km are respectively 92.74 and 97.56. In terms of population a little over two-third (69.29%) of the population in the slab is served by middle sections in their habitations of reresidence while 92.74% and 97.75% of population in the slab is served within 3 km and 5 km respectively. The number of habitations of this size having schooling facilities beyond 5 km has reduced by about one-third from 1,222 at the time of the Third Survey to 856 in 1978, resulting in reduction of percentage of unserved population from 4.50 to 2.25.
6.2.3 Population slab `1000-1999' Out of 91,779 habitations in the slab 34,736 (37.84%) have middle sections in them catering to 39.54% of population in their own habitations of residence. 75,508 (82.25%) and 86,740 (94.49%)
STATEMENT 6.2 Habitations and population in various population slabs in rural areas served by middle section in them or within a walking distance of 3 km and 5 km
Population slab
Sl no. Item of information 5000 & above 2000-4999 1000-1999 500- 999 Below 500 Total
Population slab
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1. Number of habitations 4,407 35,069 91,799 1,73,727 6,59,662 9,64,664
2. Habitations served by middle 3,927 23,745 34,736 24,283 16,913 1,03,604
sections in them
3. Item 2 as %of item 1 89.06 67.71 37.841 3.98 2.56 10.74
4. Habitations served by middle 4,311 32,350 75,508 1,27,009 4,05,793 6,44,971
sections in them or within 3 km
5. Item 4 as % of item 1 97.82 92.25 82.25 73.11 61.52 66.86
6. Percentage of population 98.03 92.74 82.50 73.28 65.30 78.83
served by middle sections in
their own habitations or within 3 km
7. Habitations served by 4,370 34,213 86,740 1.57,719 5,41,980 8,25,022
middle sections in them or
within 5 km
8. Item 7 as % of item 1 99.16 97.56 94.49 90.79 82.16 85.52
9. Percentage of population 99.17 97.75 94.43 90.60 85.29 92.10
served by middle sections in their own
habitations or within 5 km
56 FOURTH ALL-INDIA EDUCATIONAL SURVEY
habitations with population 82.50% and (94.49%) respectively are served within their habitations of residence or up to 3 km and 5 km distance. As a welcome feature we find that the number of habitations in the slab having middle sections beyond 5 km has reduced by more than one-third from 7,666 at the time of the Third Survey to 5,059 during the current survey but the percentage of unserved population has reduced by less than half from 9.25% in 1973 to 5.57% during 1978.
6.2.4 Population slab `500-999' There are 1,73,727 habitations in the slab out of which 24,283 (13.98%) have middle sections in them serving about 14.66% of the population. The percentages of habitations in the slab served within 3 km and 5 km are respectively 73.11 and 90.79 with corresponding percentages of population served as 73.28 and 91.60. There were 23,948 habitations in the slab with 13.25% of population which did not have a middle section within 5 km at the time of the Third Survey. While this number has reduced to 16,008 but the percentage of population unserved is 9.40. In this case the gap has been reduced by about one- third both in terms of habitations and population.
6.2.5 Population slabs below 500 The percentage of habitations with less than 500 population having middle sections in them has almost remained the same, since the Third Survey. There are 16,913 of such habitations constituting about 2.56% of the total number of habitations in this slab. But the proporation of population thus served has increased from 3,28% in the Third Survey to 4.28% during the present survey. The percentages of habitations in the slab served within 3 km and 5 km are 61.52 and 82.16 respectively, the corresponding population percentages covered within these distances being 65.30 and 85.29 respectively, 14.71% of the population and 17.84% of the habitations in the slab still remain to be served with middle sections within 5 km of radius. At the time of the Third Survey there were 1,67,833 habitations with 23.77% of population in the slab that were not served with middle stage educational facilities within 5 km. The number of such habitations has reduced to. 1,17,682 with drop in percentage of unserved popula- tion in the slab to 14.71.
6.2.6 Habitations not served During the five year period from 1973-78 the number of habitations that are unserved with middle
STATEMENT 6.3
Habitations in rural areas not served by middle sections in them or within a walking distance of 3 km.
Population slab Number of habitations in Habitations not served by Col. 3 as % of habitations in the
the slab middle sections in them In the slab Not served by rural areas
or within 3 km middle sections
in them or
within 3 km
1 2 3 4 5 6
5000 & above 4,407 96 2.18 0.03 0.01
2000-4999 35,069 2,719 7.75 0.85 0.28
1000-199 991,799 16,291 17.75 5.10 1.69
500-999 1,73,727 46,718 26.89 14.61 4.84
Below 500 6,59,662 2,53,869 38.48 79.41 26.32
Total 9,64,664 3,19,693 33.14 100.00 33.14
EDUCATION AT MIDDLE STAGE 57
sections within 3 km has declined from 3,88,439 to 3,19,693 i.e. a drop from 41.74% to 33.14% in such habitations. The number of habitations each having population of 1,000 or more but not served up to 3 km has reduced from 21,528 (2.27%) to 19,106) (1.98%) in absolute numbers during the period but relative proportion of unserved population has slightly increased from 26.02% to 27.51 % during the period.
We find that 1,39,642 habitations with 7.90% of population are not served within a distance of 5 km. which is a significant improvement over 2,00,735 habitations with 13.29% of population that was not being served with a middle section at the time of the Third Survey.
There is a considerable variation in the percentage of population unserved in their own habitations of residence or within distance of 5 km from State to State. Among the States Gujarat (71.71%) serves the highest percentage of population with a middle section in their own habitations while the least percentage of population thus served is in Himachal Pradesh (13.31%). Among the Union Territories, the highest and least percentage are in Mizoram (64.32%) and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (11.34%). The percentage of population served with middle sections within a walking distance of 5 km varies from 98.78% in case of Punjab, the highest for a State to 63.85% in case of Sikkim, the lowest for a State. Some of the Union Territories appear to be very badly placed as the unserved population is as high as 67.45% in case of Arunachal Pradesh, 33.83% in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and 29.62% in Mizoram. These Union Territories need special attention to improve the situation.
STATEMENT 6.4
Population in rural areas not served by middle sections in their own habitation
or within a walking distance of 3 km.
Population slab Number of habitations in Habitations not served by Col. 3 as % of habitations In the
the slab middle sections in them In the slab Not served by rural areas
or within 3 km middle sections
in them or
within 3 km
1 2 3 4 5 6
5000 & above 3,17,77,150 6,26,757 1.97 0.58 0.12
2000-4999 9,96,24,707 72,31,777 7.26 6.71 1.42
1000-1999 12,45,52,456 2,17,99,114 17.50 20.22 4.28
500-999 12,17,32,455 3,25,25,887 26.72 30.17 6.39
Below 500 13,14.76,660 4,56,24,290 34.70 42.32 8.96
Total 50,91,63,428 10,78,07,825 21.17 100.00 21.17
58 FOURTH ALL-INDIA EDUCATIONAL SURVEY
STATEMENT 6.5
Habitations in rural areas not served by middle sections in them or within a distance of 5 km.
Population Number of Habitations not Col. 3 as % of habitations
slab habitations served by middle In the slab Not served by middle In the rural
sections in them sections in them or areas
or within 5 km within 5 km
1 2 3 4 5 6
5000 & above 4,407 37 0.84 0.03 0.00
2000-4999 35,069 856 2.44 0.61 0.09
1000-1999 91,799 5,059 5.51 3.62 0.52
500-999 1,73,727 16,008 9.21 11.46 1.66
Below 500 6,59,662 1,17,682 17.84 84.27 12.20
Total 9,64,664 1,39,642 14.48 99.99 14.48
STATEMENT 6.6
Population in rural areas not served by middle sections in their own habitations
or within a walking distance of 5 km.
Population Population of Population not Col. 3 as % of population
slab the habitations served by middle In the slab Not served by In the rural
in the slab sections in the middle areas
habitation or in the habitation
within 5 km or within 5 km
1 2 3 4 5 6
5000 & above 3,17,77,150 2,65,374 0.83 0.65 0.05
2000-4999 9,96,24,707 22,40,677 2.24 5.57 0.44
1000-1999 12,45,52,456 69,35,220 5.56 17.24 1.36
500-999 12,17,32,455 1,14,47,695 9.40 28.46 2.24
Below 500 13,14,76,660 1,93,40,630 14.71 48.08 3.80
Total 50,91,63,428 4,02,29,596 7.90 100.00 7.90