Goa climbs nat education index TNN, Mar 4, 2011, 01.49am IST
PANAJI: Goa has jumped three ranks to the 11th position on the educational development index (EDI) in primary education (Classes I to V) this year, according to Union human resource development's annual survey, based on information gathered by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
In the upper primary section, which includes classes VI to VIII, it enjoys the ninth rank, a quantum leap from the previous 17. Stakeholders, however, said Goa still has a long way to go.
The 2009-10 survey conducted by National University for Educational Planning and Administration shows that Goa has managed an improved performance in nearly all parameters. In terms of teacher training and qualifications, for example, Goa has gone from 7th to 4th position and from 33rd to 22nd as far as students' performance is concerned.
On the infrastructural front, too, Goa has made progress moving from 17th to 14th position. The state, however, has maintained its 30th position on the good-access-to-schools front.
Stakeholders, however, say the state needs to improve on the overall development of the child outside the prescribed curriculum. "Schools tend to stick to the syllabus in Goa. Even though the statistics look very good, the state needs to work on enhancing confidence and general knowledge in the students," former deputy director of education and present manager of Curchorem's Shrimati Chandrabaga Tukoba Naik Higher Secondary School B G Naik said.
President of the All Goa Secondary School Teachers Association Vithoba Dessai said, "Goa's education system is good. But as compared to places like Delhi, Goa has a lot of catching up to do. CBSE schools, in particular, offer excellent infrastructure for the overall development of the child and don't stress only on literacy."
The survey further shows that the state's gross enrolment ratio has shot up from 54.01% in 2007-08 to 62.04% in 2009-10 and the percentage of students enrolled at the primary level completing their elementary education has also improved from 55.41 in 2007-08 to 68.04 in 2009-10.
While enrolment in pre-primary schools has also seen a rise, from 19.54% to 23.67%, the percentage of classrooms where over 60 students are crammed in one class came down from 3.60 to 2.84.
There was no major disparity in gender-wise enrolment in Goa with nearly 50% of enrolment in all primary classes being girls. Over 60% of teachers were covered by 2009-10 under the in-service training programmes as against the national average of 35.03%. Goa is also one of the states with the highest number of professionally trained regular teachers at 96.07%, while the national average lingers at around 80%.
The statistics showed that 86.24% of schools in Goa at the primary level have a functional computer, 95.98% schools have electricity connections, 84.90% offer a separate functional toilet to girls and nearly all schools offer drinking water facilities.
The survey also shows that there are seven primary schools per thousand population of children aged between six and 11 years in Goa.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Goa-climbs-nat-education-index/articleshow/7623839.cms#ixzz1FbTOqnLH
