At all school levels, Goa’s gross enrolment ratio in India’s top 4

Panaji: Across the upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels, Goa is among the top three states in gross enrolment ratio (GER), while at the primary level it has the fourth-best GER across states and UTs, according to the Union education ministry’s unified district information system for education (UDISE) report for 2024-25 released this week.At the upper primary level, Goa’s GER was 116 along with Meghalaya, behind only Delhi’s 117 and Chandigarh’s 120. The national GER average is just 90.GER in schools is of particular interest now as Union govt wants to achieve 100% GER till the secondary school level by 2030, as per the vision of the National Education Policy, 2020. Goa has already achieved this status, as per the UDISE data.The GER is derived by comparing the enrolment in school at a specific level of education to the population of the age-group which is most age-appropriate for that level of education.For example, the GER at the primary level is student enrolment in Classes I to V expressed as a percentage of population in the age group of 6-10 years. Similarly, the GER of upper primary considers Goa’s children in the age group 11-13 years who are in Classes VI to VIII.A GER greater than 100% — like in Goa’s case — is derived due to factors such as interstate migration of children.At the secondary school level, Goa had the second-best GER of 108, after Chandigarh’s 110.

Goa’s performance is commendable as against the national average of 79 for this level.In the case of higher secondary too, Goa had 94% of the state’s age-appropriate children in Class XI and XII. This was the third-best after Chandigarh’s 107 and Puducherry’s 96. Goa’s GER is far ahead of the national average of 58 for the higher secondary level.At the primary school level too, Goa’s GER stands at 118, at fourth place among all states and UTs, following Meghalaya’s 181, Manipur’s 141, and Mizoram’s 138. Goa’s GER is much higher than the national GER average of 91 for this level.