PROBE: Public Report on Basic Education

Probe factoids (Prepared by Sri; Need Java-enabled browser)

Quick Index:

[Summary]
[What is PROBE?]
[What does the Indian Constitution have to do with basic education in India?]
[What is PROBE based on?]
[Statistics from the Survey]
[Average Years of Schooling for Indians (all states)]
[Total Number of Illiterates (all states)]
[Myth 1. Parents are not interested in education]
[Myth 2. Child labor is the main obstacle]
[Myth 3. Elementary Education is free]
['If all children were at school']
['School Facilities in the PROBE Villages']
['Teacher Activities at School']

Summary:

  The PROBE report which came out this year contains 
a wealth of knowledge on the impoverished primary education 
scene in India. For your convenience, I have selected and
typed up some eye-opening facts and statistics below.

  In my opinion, it is must read for anyone interested in
in childrens' education in India, and for every Asha 
volunteer. Based on extensive field surveys, the report 
also offers many insights as well.

enjoy - Sri (tenali@excite.com)

What is PROBE?:

  PROBE is the Public Report on Basic Education for India. 
It was supported by the Center for Development Economics (India)
and published in 1999 by the Oxford University Press
(http://www.oup.com).

What does the Indian Constitution have to do with basic education in India?:

  
"The State shall endeavor to provide within a period of
ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for
free and compulsary education for all children until they
complete the age of fourteen years." 
	(Constitution of India, Directive Principles of
	 State Policy, Article 45) (p.3)

In 1997, the 83rd amendment was introduced into Parliment
to establish basic education as a fundamental right guaranteed
by the State. It has not yet passed, but there is reason to
have hopes that it will be adopted in the future. (p. 1)

What is PROBE based on?:

 
PROBE relies on a survey carried out from September to
December 1996, covering school facilities and a sample of
1376 households, in 234 randomly selected villages of Bihar,
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
The five states covered by the survey account for 40 percent of
India's population and more than half of all out-of-school 
children [in India]. One of the striking findings emerging from
the PROBE survey is the contrast between Himachal Pradesh and
the other four states. In comparison with the other states,
Himachal Pradesh has made remarkable progress towards universal
elementary education. To avoid mixing apples and oranges, the 
survey data presented [from PROBE below] will exclude Himachal 
Pradesh, and should be understood to apply to the other four
states. (p. 2)

Statistics from the Survey:

 
Number of children aged 6-14 in the sample PROBE households.
enrolled in school = 766/1,331 (male/female)
not enrolled in school = 596/227
total = 1,362/1,558
"As the above figures show, about 70 per cent of all
children aged 6-14 in the sample households are currently
enrolled in a school. This is an encouraging trend, 
considering that out-of-school children made up about 
three-fifths of the 5-14 age group in the PROBE states
as recently as 1986-7 (Visasia, et. al., 1993). 
However, this trend hjas to be read in light of the fact
that (1) 'nominal enrollment' is a common and possibly
growing practice (see chapter 8 and Survey Methodology),
and (2) even among genuinely-enrolled children, attendance
rates and often low.
(p. 7)

Average Years of Schooling for Indians (all states):

 
1.8 for females, 2.9 for males.
(p. 9)

Total Number of Illiterates (all states):

  
371 million (1991)
(p. 12)

Myth 1. Parents are not interested in education:

 

Parents Attitude to Education (PROBE survey),
Is it important for a boy to be educated? 98% said yes
If yes, why?
	1. Improves employment and income opportunities. 87%
	2. Improves social status. 29%
	3. Improves confidence or self-esteem. 24%
Is it important for a girl to be educated? 89% said yes
If yes, why?
	1. Helps to write letters and keep accounts. 50%
	2. Improves employment and income opportunities. 40%
	3. Improves marriage prospects. 35%
(p. 19)
	
Should primary education be made compulsary for all children? 80% said yes
(p. 14)

Myth 2. Child labor is the main obstacle:

 

Estimates of Child Labor (All-India, Rural)
percentage (%) of children aged 5-14 who are in 
the workforce-
Census of India (1991)= 8.8%/10.0% (female/male)
National Sample Survey= 7.8%/6.9%
NCAER Survey= 3.5%/4.4%
(p. 16)

Work Patterns of Out-of-School Children (PROBE survey)-
Proportion who worked mofe than 8 hours on the day preceding the survey= 22%/20% (boys/girls)
Proportion who performed wage labor on the day preceding the survey= 1%/5%
Average time of work on the day preceding the survey= 5.1 hours/4.2 hours
Extra time of work, compared with children
who are attending school= 2.2 hours/2.1 hours
(p. 16)

Myth 3. Elementary Education is free:

 

Average Cost of Sending a Child to School
Primary level
NSS estimate (1986-7) excluding cloting expenses= Rs. 212
PROBE estimate, 1996= Rs. 318
Elementary level
NCAER estimate, 1994= 478
(p. 17)


***

'If all children were at school':

 
If all the children aged 6-10 in the PROBE
survey were in primary school, there would be,
113 pupils per pacca classroom
68 pupils per appointed teacher.
(p. 40)

'School Facilities in the PROBE Villages':

 
Proportion(%) of primary schools where the
following facilities are unavailable or
available but not functional,
blackboard in every classroom= 26%
playground= 52%
drinking water= 59%
toilet= 89%
maps and charts= 59%
teaching kit= 67%
toys= 75%
library= 77%
musical instrument= 85%
(p. 42)

'Teacher Activities at School':

 

1. Proportion (%) of headteachers who were
engaged in the following activities when the
PROBE investigators arrived,
Teaching activities= 25%
Absent= 33%
Other activities= 42%

2. Activity patterns of teachers when the 
PROBE investigators arrived (proportion of
schools in which the relevant activities 
were observed, which are not mutuially
exclusive since teachers may be engaged in
different activities)
Teaching= 53%
Minding the class= 21%
Sitting/Standing outside the class= 11%
In the headteacher's room= 7%
Talking with other teachers= 18%
Other non-teaching activities= 23%

Asha for Education
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