Varanasi district has a higher enrollment rate at 91.2% among children in the 14-18 age bracket compared to the pan-India figure of 86.8%, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released on Wednesday.
The survey was conducted in 28 districts across 26 states, covering 34,745 youngsters in the age group of 14-18 years. At 81.7%, the enrollment rate in Hathras was the lowest not just in northern India across all age groups but also below the national figure. Varanasi and Hathras are the only two districts in UP where the survey was conducted.
Also Read: ASER 2023: 27% teens in Hathras, 18% in Varanasi can’t read Class 2 text fluently
The ASER 2023 report titled “Beyond Basics”, led by Pratham Foundation, an education-focussed non-profit, puts the spotlight on youngsters aged 14 to 18 years in rural India. The last time this particular age group was covered in an ASER report was in 2017.
In Varanasi, 30.6% of the youngsters were enrolled in government institutions. With 8.8% not enrolled anywhere, this proportion was higher among 17-18-year-olds as compared to 14-16-year-olds.
Among those aged 17-18 years, 16.8% of males were not enrolled in any formal education institutions compared to 18.8% of females. Additionally, 6.5% were enrolled in some form of vocational training and 44.2% were engaged in some work (other than household work) for at least 15 days in the month prior to the survey, the report said.
In Hathras, 27.7% of youngsters were enrolled in government institutions. Around 18.3% of youth were not enrolled anywhere, and the proportion was higher among 17-18-year-olds as compared to 14-16-year-olds.
Among those aged 17-18 years, 21.8% of males were not enrolled in any formal education institution as compared to 31.9% of females. Additionally, 5.9% were enrolled in some form of vocational training and 41.6% were engaged in some work (other than household work) for at least 15 days in the month prior to the survey.
Also Read: ASER 2023: 86.8% of youth in the age group 14-18 are enrolled in an educational institution
A notable gender gap in enrolment is also visible, where more girls are not enrolled across age groups, according to the report.
Professional Aspirations
Among those surveyed in Hathras, 15.7% boys and 14.4% girls in the district aspire to join the police force. In Varanasi, 14.1% girls want to join the police vis-a-vis 12% boys.
Also, in Varanasi, 23.9% girls and 16.2% boys want to become doctors while in Hathras 13.5% girls and 7.8% boys wish to join this profession.
Besides,12.9% Varanasi girls and 12.7% Hathras boys wish to become teachers while 10.3% and 9.1% Hathras and Varanasi boys respectively want to join the armed forces.
Most of the youngsters in Hathras and Varanasi are enrolled in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) stream, which is in contrast to the national picture according to which, in Class 11 or higher, more than half are enrolled in the Arts and Humanities stream (55.7%), the report added.
