By Abu Zafar, India Tomorrow,
New Delhi, 21 June 2014: Even after four years of implementation of Right to Education Act (RTE), Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in at least three most populous states of the country is far above the maximum limit set by the act.
According to RTE, there should not be more than 30 students under one teacher, but the latest government report ‘Flash Statistics: Elementary Education in India: Progress towards UEE for the year 2013-14’ says that in states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh the PTR is far above the maximum limit.
The report, released by Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani this past Wednesday, says that during 2013-14 in Bihar the PTR in all schools was 51 and in government schools it was 54. Performance of aided and unrecognized schools was better than government schools. In all aided schools the PTR was 40 and in unaided schools and unrecognized schools it was 28 and 23 respectively.
In Uttar Pradesh during the said period PTR of all schools was 38 and in government schools it was 33 and in aided schools it was 30 but in unaided and unrecognized schools it was 47 and 45 respectively.
Pupil-Teacher Ratio in all schools
State
PTR as per RTE Act
State PTR in
2011-12
State PTR in
2012-13
State PTR in
2013-14
Bihar
1:30
1:59
1:53
1:51
UP
1:30
1:44
1:39
1:38
MP
1:30
1:34
1:32
1:29
In Madhya Pradesh among all schools in 2013-14 the overall PTR was reported as 29 but among government schools it went up to 33. Performance of aided, unaided and unrecognized schools in MP was slightly better than government schools. It was 28, 24 and 29 respectively.
The national PTR, however, is in compliance with the RTE.
The all India PTR among all and government schools in 2013-14 was 26. Aided, unaided and unrecognized schools have 23, 25 and 24 respectively.
The report was prepared by National University of Educational Planning & Administration in collaboration with District Information System for Education.
