From- Toi

NEW DELHI: There is bad news on the education front. Student enrolment at the primary level (class 1) fell in the 2009-10 academic session, compared to 2008-09, along with a decline in the numbers of pre-primary, primary and middle schools. The period also saw a worrying slowdown in the spread of literacy. In fact, literacy growth was slowest in the last four decades, leaving the city with a literacy level of 86.34% in 2011.

Delhi Statistical Handbook 2011 has some more surprising data on education. While the Capital implemented Right to Free and Compulsory Education in 2010, the number of middle schools fell to 583 from 659 in 2008-09. The number of primary schools has also witnessed a continuous decline, coming down to 2,586 in 2009-10 from 2,617 in 2005-06.

Social jurist Ashok Agarwal blames the city's poor showing on the government's decision to shut down many schools. "The decrease in number of schools indicates that a number of government- or MCD schools have been systematically closed because the number of private schools is on the rise. In fact, in the last three years, the government has closed down around 100 schools - in some cases to build swimming pools and parking spaces. Some schools have been merged as well."

The higher education segment has a silver lining, though. While there has been no increase in the number of educational institutions, the enrolment of girls has shot up. In 2009-10, 36% more girls enrolled in high schools compared to 2008-09. However, the number of boys enrolled in high schools saw a slight decline. The total number of boys in high schools came down 8% in 2009-10 compared to 2008-09.

Meanwhile, the literacy rate for the city now stands at 86.34%, as against 81.67% 10 years ago. This increase of 4.67 percentage points is the lowest decadal growth - even lower than the 4.93 percentage points recorded between 1971 and 1981 - in the last 40 years. Over the years, Delhi recorded its biggest improvement in literacy in the 10 years from 1981 to 1991, with a 13.71 percentage-point increase.

Co-relating the increase of girls' enrolment in higher education, the overall slowdown in growth of literacy and the shrinking school education system, Agarwal said, "Government schools are open for girls in the morning shift and that is where proper teaching happens, to some extent. The second shift (for boys) in schools is a farce and it is reflecting in the performance of boys, and the overall literacy growth rate."