Students’ transition, college density pose a challenge to AP

Hyderabad : The gap in transition and diversity in higher education and the ground to be covered in the Gross Enrollment ratio (GER) to touch the country’s 50 per cent GRE in higher education poses a challenge to Andhra Pradesh.

Despite all the tall claims of bringing radical changes in education from primary to senior secondary level and new initiatives in higher education and financial support unlike anywhere in the country by the state government for the past five years or so, there was reportedly not much change in the sector.

Of the five southern states, Andhra Pradesh is ahead of Karnataka in transition from senior secondary to higher education during 2020-21, say the Economic Survey-2023. However, it lagged behind Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

During the period the enrolments in elementary from Classes I to VIII touched a little over a cent per cent, which is down to 85.4 per cent in secondary classes of IX and X. By Classes XI and XII, the enrolment transition shows a fall by 28.7 per cent with an overall enrolment ratio of 56.7 per cent. Boys and girls in the age groups of 18-23 reaching higher education further showed a downward trend touching the total enrolment ratio standing at 33.7 per cent.

The state is ahead of Karnataka in transition to higher education enrolments. However, the All-India Survey on Higher Education 2021-22 shows during the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22, the college density of Karnataka has risen from 51 to 61 per cent. Comparatively, in Andhra Pradesh, the college density progressed from 48 per cent in 2017-18, to 49 and 51 per cent respectively in two subsequent years. But it fell by 2 per cent and the college density stood at 49 per cent by 2021-22.

The transition from senior secondary to higher education and the falling college density raise the question of AP’s GER in higher education against the backdrop of a 50 per cent national target. Because AP holds the third position among the top 10 states in the country with the highest college density. Will AP retain its position or further slip down remains a million-dollar question.