Out-of-school girls' percentage in MP jumps to 8.5: Report

Despite offering freebies like books, bicycle and uniforms along with scholarships among others to enhance enrolment, Madhya Pradesh is among the top three states in the country where the percentage of out-of-school girls is the highest, according to an education status report for 2016.

As per the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2016, in some states, the proportion of girls (age group 11-14) 'out-of-school' remains greater than 8 percent. These states are Uttar Pradesh (9.9 per cent) and Rajasthan (9.7 per cent). Madhya Pradesh joined them at 8.5 per cent. This report was released recently in New Delhi by Pratham Education Foundation.

"The proportion of `out-of-school' girls (drop-outs as well as those who never went to school) in Madhya Pradesh was 6.2 per cent during 2014. This has now increased to 8.5 per cent," Foundation's MP Chief Sajjan Singh Shekhawat said. There are about 1.22 lakh schools including 83962 of primary level, 30449 middle, 3849 higher secondary and 4764 of high schools in Madhya Pradesh.

This status report has also revealed the condition of poor quality of education and its infrastructure in state.

As far as rural areas of the state are concerned, this education status report found that 2.9 per cent girls of 7-10 years of age group were not enrolled in schools. Similarly, 29 per cent girls in the age group of 15-16 years were out of schools during last year.

It was pointed out that 2.9 per cent of the students of class eight in state failed to even read letters while 13.5 per cent of them were able to read standard-one level text. Besides, 64.3 per cent students of class eight could read letters meant for class-II but not above.

As many as 6.7 per cent of class-five and 1.6 per cent students of class-eight of the state have even failed to recognize the digit - one to nine.