Rural India’s Challenges in Achieving "Education for All": a Micro Analysis

Jayachandran Vasudevan, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
S. Rajaram, J.S.S. Institute of Economic Research
Thankam Sunil, University of Texas at San Antonio

The present paper examines the schooling pattern in rural areas and attempts to identify the target groups for policy interventions and recommendations. The current attendance in school, dropouts, never attendance, and completing grade 5 for older children (11-17 years) were analyzed. Further, the multi level analysis is carried out to understand the linkages of facility variables and schooling pattern, to arrive at more refined policy conclusions. The analysis reveals that, within rural area special focus needs to be given in bringing girl children, children belonging to under privileged sections of the society such as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to schools. The quality of education and participatory learning approaches are important in keeping children in school, else we may end up with universal enrolment and not universal primary education as outlined in the Millennium Development Document.