Patna,(BiharTimes): The percentage of children going to private schools in Bihar has increased from 5.2 per cent in 2010 to 8.4 per cent in 2013.

According to the ninth Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2013, released by deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on Wednesday the percentage of girls in the 11 to 14 years age group not going to schools has declined from 17.6 0 per cent in 2006 to 4.6 per cent in 2013.

The report is based on a survey facilitated by the NGO Pratham and carried out among 5.69 lakh students from 3.27 lakh households in 15,941 villages in the country.

A total of 1,082 primary and middle schools were surveyed in Bihar during September, October and November 2013.

The report said that almost 60 per cent of the children in upper primary classes (VI-VIII) in Bihar take private tuitions. The number of children able to read at least class-I level text has declined from 44.9 per cent in 2010 to 33.2 per cent in 2013. The number of children in class-V who can read a class-II level text has declined from 58.4 per cent in 2010 to 43.9 per cent in 2013.

The class III children of Bihar are able to solve a two-digit subtraction with borrowing are less, from 44.3 per cent in 2010 to 27.7 per cent in 2013. The teachers’ attendance in primary schools (class I-V) and upper primary schools show little improvement. However, children's attendance has improved.

The percentage of schools in Bihar with no drinking water facility has declined from 9.6 per cent in 2010 to 4.1 per cent in 2013.

In 2010, only 18.1 per cent schools had a separate toilet for girls. It has increased to 47.6 per cent in 2013.
Over the last three years, there has been a steady increase in the provision of libraries in state schools.
It said that neighbouring Bengal has one of the highest percentages of rural students opting for private tuition, although only seven per cent of such pupils enrol themselves in private schools in the state. Over 81 per cent of class VIII students in rural Bengal have private tuition. Tripura (65.8), Bihar (52.2) and Odisha (50.2) are east Indian states which follow Bengal.

In south 70 per cent of those surveyed in Kerala attend private schools even though it has good public infrastructure in comparison to Bihar or Bengal.