Rural parents prefer pvt schools for their wards

NEW DELHI: Parents in rural areas seem to prefer paying for their child���s education at a private school rather than opt for schooling in government schools. The shift comes at a time when the government has achieved a measure of success in its effort to universalise elementary education.

The reduction in the number of out-of-school children, improvement in retention rate at the primary level (up to class V) and higher transition rate from primary to upper primary are witnesses to the success of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. A survey by an NGO Pratham outlines what the next focus area of the government should be ��� how to ensure that schools deliver education.

The percentage of children in private schools has gone up from 16.3% in 2005 to 18.8% in 2006. In Punjab, Goa, Karnataka, Haryana and J&K jump in the number of children going to private schools is substantial. Gujarat and AP have shown a reverse trend, with the percentage of children in private schools declining.