J&K female GER stuck at 46.6 per cent, remains ‘deficient’

Srinagar, Jun 17: With a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 46.6 percent for female students at senior secondary level, Jammu and Kashmir finds itself mired in the ‘deficient category,’—raising a question on the efficiency of educational outreach in the region.
The recent official figures revealing GER of girls at higher secondary level said that, Jammu and Kashmir has a deficient rate of girls’ enrolment at the higher secondary level, with its performance being only marginally better than the states with the lowest enrolment in other states of the country.
“Meghalaya with 46.5 percent GER, Jammu & Kashmir with 46.6 percent, and Madhya Pradesh 46.9 percent perform only marginally better and, Assam with 47.4 percent and Gujarat 49.7 percent also fall into the deficient category,” it reads.
Although these States have improved compared to the extremely low levels recorded in 2014-15, their current GER for girls in higher secondary education remains low. The marginal gains achieved are insufficient, leaving them far behind national goals of equitable access.
The documents further reveal that only a limited set of States and UTs report strong participation of girls in higher secondary education.
It include Chandigarh with 122.8 percent, Puducherry with 104.9 percent, and Goa (102.6 percent.
“Relatively higher levels are also evident in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands with 97.9 percent, Dadra and Nagar Haveli with 94.8 percent, Daman and Diu 94.8 percent, and Kerala with 91.7 percent.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Jammu and Kashmir has recorded its sharpest decline in student progression from secondary to higher secondary in a decade, with the transition rate falling more than 20% between 2014 and 2024.
The official figures in this regard reveal that J&K has recorded the second highest decline in the transition rate across the country during this period.
“The steepest declines in transition from secondary to higher secondary between the years 2014 and 2024 were recorded in Arunachal Pradesh with 81.8 percent to 60.7 percent and Jammu & Kashmir with 93.38 percent to 72.9 percent.”
The documents further said that despite notable improvements, persistent challenges remain in ensuring retention through the higher secondary stage. (KNO)