Abstract:
The target set in the National Policy on Education (1998-2010) for
primary level enrolment is 90% of the children of age group of 5-9. This again
was an achievable target, provided the available resources were efficiently used
and programme interventions were made in a timely fashion. But during the
last five years, it has not been implemented effectively and efficiently due to
rapid population growth, insufficient political will, a period of undemocratic
governance, and poor management of scarce resources. Women and girls have
been most affected by these negative factors. The national literacy rate for
females is only 35%, compared to 59% for males, and in certain status the
female literacy, enrolment and achievement rates are much lower. There are
many issues related to low enrolment of females such as poverty and economic
issues, inadequate school infrastructure, gender bias in content and teaching
and learning processes and poorly qualified teachers. The analysis of the study
indicates that the age of the child, parents’ schooling particularly the mother,
income per capita of the household head and distance to school are relevant
variables in explaining the probability of female enrolment at the primary
school level.
