Over 26 crore adults in India are illiterate, finds UNESCO report

Highlighting the state of education in India, the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report released on Monday revealed that a quarter of the population in the country are not completing lower secondary education, which makes for 26.6 crore adults and 3.3 crore young population unable to read.

The report highlights that despite the Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) 4 calling for 12 years of free quality education for all, 28 lakh children are out of school as education is compulsory only till the age of 12 years.

Talking about accountability in education, the report mentions that India spends below the benchmark for education financing, which is 3.8 percent of GDP on education not 5 percent and 14 percent of public expenditure instead of 15 percent. It highlights the responsibility of all education stakeholders primarily government to provide universal quality education and stresses that accountability is indispensable in achieving the goal of Sustainable Development on Education.

It also mentions that there is an inequality in education standards between men and women, between general category and scheduled tribes and scheduled caste as well, which is a big challenge to improving the quality of education in the country. As compared to 73 percent of poorest males, 67 percent of poorest females have completed their primary education. The higher education attendance ratio among Scheduled Tribes is 12 percent and that of scheduled caste is 15 percent which is way below the national average of 23 percent in the year 2010.

An analysis of several National Sample Surveys in India over 1983–2010 indicated that, despite progress, the education level of scheduled tribes and castes was far below average. The higher education attendance ratio among scheduled tribes increased from 2 percent to 12 percent and that of scheduled castes from 4 percent to 15 percent, compared to a national average of 23 percent in 2010.

The report mentions what needs to be done to improve the quality of education which includes -- improving school inspection, controlling teacher absenteeism, better regulation of private tutoring, better regulation of private sector, not linking teacher's salary to student's test scores.

Talking about the report, Shigeru Aoyagi, Director and UNESCO Representative said, "With millions of children still not going to school, and many not achieving minimum proficiency levels at school, indicates that education systems are not on track."

Economic survey in the year 2016-17 recommended using biometrics to tackle teacher absenteeism in primary schools. However, the suggestion was met with protests from teachers, along with technical implementation challenges.

The report that highlights the responsibility of all education stakeholders primarily government to provide universal quality education and stresses that accountability is indispensable in achieving the goal of Sustainable Development on Education.

I also warns that disproportionate blame on any one actor for systemic educational problems can have serious negative side effects, widening inequality and damaging learning.

OUT OF SCHOOL

• Nearly 12 lakh children are out of school as education is compulsory only till the age of 12, says UNESCO
   
• India spends below the benchmark for education financing, which is 3.8 percent of GDP on education, according to the GEM report