In a positive sign forKarnataka, the number of children in the 6-14 age group, who are not enrolled in school, dropped to 1.6% in 2021 from 6.2% in 2020. However, the number is still much higher than pre-Covid days when only 0.7% of children were out of school.
Data from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2021, shows 1.6% boys and 1.7% girls in Karnataka are not enrolled in school. The figure was 6.4% and 5.9%, respectively in 2020. Nationally, there is no change in Percentage terms in the number (4.6%) who are not in school.
he report specifically highlights Migration of children from private to government schools. The report says 8.3% children moved to government schools in Karnataka, taking the total to 77% the seventh highest among states. The largest migration was inUttarPradesh (13.2%),Kerala(12%), Nadu(10%) andRajasthan(9%).
The increase is most striking in the lowest grades. For example, admissions in government schools rose by more than 10% points from 2020 to 2021 among boys in classes 1 and 2. Boys are more likely to be enrolled in private schools than girls. TOI had reported the trend in mid-2020.