RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 654 (answered on November 26, 2007)
654. DR. GYAN PRAKASH PILANIAWill the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:-
(a) the details of ranking of States done by National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) in elementary education;
(b) the details of parameters of Educational Development Index (EDI), which formed the basis of ranking;
(c) how this ranking and EDI of different States, reflects upon the performance of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in those States; and
(d) which are BIMARU States and what steps have been taken to improve their performance?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI M.A.A. FATMI)
(a) to (c) To assess progress of States and Union Territories towards the goal of Universalisation of Elementary Education, an Educational Development Index (EDI), has been developed by National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA). The EDI has been developed on four broad parameters of access, infrastructure, teacher related indicators and elementary education outcomes. State-wise ranking on a composite index for primary and upper primary level of education based on 2005-06 data, is given at Annexure.
(d) Educationally Backward States receive priority in allocation of funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. In addition, capacity building of these States through trainings and workshops has been undertaken, especially in components in which these States are not performing well.
The top 8 states include the five southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and the three northern states - Delhi, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.
Bihar is right at the bottom and way below Jharkand its neighbour both in geographical and EDI terms. That's where the focus of the Central Government and a major chunk of its funding ought to be, if the rest of the country is not to be dragged down by Jharkand and Bihar in the coming decades.
West Bengal is quite surpisingly at the bottom end of the pile. I hadn't thought of them as being so far behind in terms of elementary education.
Addendum:
i-Government provides more details of the methodology used by NUEPA to determine the EDI.
Education think-tank National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) has developed an Educational Development Index (EDI) to track progress of states towards Universal Elementary Education (UEE) for primary and upper primary levels as well as for a composite look at Elementary Education.The EDI ranking is expected to enable more effective targeting of SSA to the most backward districts. It would also help to encourage the states to improve their performance and have a closer look at both the inputs and the outputs of the parameters that affect elementary education.
The EDI has been developed keeping in mind four broad parameters—access, infrastructure, teacher related indicators and outcomes. The index takes into account 22 variables.
These variables include:
- Access—percentage of habitations not served, availability of schools per 1000 population.
- Infrastructure—average student-classroom ratio, school with student-classroom ratio greater than 60, school without drinking water facilities, schools with separate toilets for boys and girls as required.
- Teachers—percentage of female teachers, pupil-teacher ratio, school with pupil-teacher ratio greater than 60, single-teacher schools-in schools with more than 15 students, percentage of schools with less than three or less teachers, teachers without professional qualification and
- Outcome: gross enrolment ratio overall, scheduled castes: gross enrolment ratio, schedule tribes: gross enrolment ratio, gender parity index enrolment: repetition rate, drop-out rate, ratio of exit class over Class I enrolment-primary stage only, percentage of passed children to total enrolment, percentage of appeared children, passing with 60 per cent and above marks.
