Between lines: Education fails to make impact
The Survey glosses over the UPA government’s failure to keep its common minimum programme pledge of raising public spend on education to 6% of GDP.
By Urmi A Goswami, TNN |
On education, the Economic Survey is significant more for what it doesn���t say, than what it does. Reading more like an election document highlighting government���s achievements and the way ahead, the Survey glosses over the UPA government���s failure to keep its common minimum programme pledge of raising public spend on education to 6% of GDP. Public spend on education as a percentage of GDP has slipped below the high of 2.9% achieved by the NDA government in 2002-03.
Spending on education, as per Budget estimates, for 2007-08 is at 2.84% of GDP, slipping from 2006-07 level of 2.88%. In 2004-05, the first year of the UPA government, it was 2.67%, and 2.69% in 2005-06. Public spend on education has not yet touched the 3% mark, despite the 2% education imposed in 2004-05 Budget and an additional 1% cess in the last Budget.
For the first time, the government has acknowledged that the 86th Constitutional amendment���making education a fundamental right for all 6 to 14 year olds���hasn���t been enforced because the enabling Right to Education is yet to be enacted. However, there seems to be no deadline for the legislation, as the Survey seems to suggest that such things should not come in the way of providing quality education.
In keeping with its ���election manifesto��� appeal, the Survey is uncharacteristically quiet on the quantum of school dropouts, learning outcomes and low enrollment rates for higher education.
These issues are part of the reality check that the Survey provides. Instead, as part of its ���the way forward��� mode, the Survey refers to increasing retention and improving quality in schools as the next goal for the SSA, as well as efforts to universalise secondary education and increase higher education options.
Spending on education, as per Budget estimates, for 2007-08 is at 2.84% of GDP, slipping from 2006-07 level of 2.88%. In 2004-05, the first year of the UPA government, it was 2.67%, and 2.69% in 2005-06. Public spend on education has not yet touched the 3% mark, despite the 2% education imposed in 2004-05 Budget and an additional 1% cess in the last Budget.
For the first time, the government has acknowledged that the 86th Constitutional amendment���making education a fundamental right for all 6 to 14 year olds���hasn���t been enforced because the enabling Right to Education is yet to be enacted. However, there seems to be no deadline for the legislation, as the Survey seems to suggest that such things should not come in the way of providing quality education.
In keeping with its ���election manifesto��� appeal, the Survey is uncharacteristically quiet on the quantum of school dropouts, learning outcomes and low enrollment rates for higher education.
These issues are part of the reality check that the Survey provides. Instead, as part of its ���the way forward��� mode, the Survey refers to increasing retention and improving quality in schools as the next goal for the SSA, as well as efforts to universalise secondary education and increase higher education options.
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