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What is even more surprising   What is also causing concern   especially among the under-  cent), Bihar (18.3 per cent),
 Expenditure of States on Educational Services as a percentage of  Total Expenditure  in the data print for 2021-22   is that progressive states such   INDIA’S SCHOOL   privileged children and poor   Madhya Pradesh (25.2 per
 is that the revised estimates   as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu   SYSTEM FACES   states during the post   cent), Odisha (25.5 per cent),
 Education spending of States   Pre-pandemic  Post-pandemic  for education expenditure in   as well as Gujarat and   INADEQUATE   pandemic period.   Uttar Pradesh (25.8 per cent)
 of States as % of total expenditure   2019-20   2021-22 (RE)
 states such as Jharkhand,   Maharashtra, which are   FLOW OF FUNDS                       — ranked near the bottom,
 Bihar   19.4  19.9  Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand,   considered as frontier   According to the Unified   with less than 30 per cent of
 Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal,   investment destinations and    District Information System   schools having computers.
 Chhattisgarh   19.9  18.4  Haryana and Maharashtra are   already have well established   Studies show that inadequate   for Education (U-DISE)
 Gujarat   15.1  15.2  lower than the budget   education systems, have not   fund flow to the education   2021-22 report, a total of 45.8   Similarly, only 33.9 per cent of
 Haryana   14.5  13.8  estimates for the year. This   witnessed any significant rise   sector is also leading to a   per cent of schools have   school children have access to
 Jharkhand   15.1  14.5  shows that low priority has   in their education spending as   deterioration in education   functional computers that are   internet facility with Delhi
 Karnataka   13.2  12.6  been accorded to education   a per cent of aggregate   infrastructure at the primary   used for teaching and learning   emerging as the only state
 Kerala   16.6  15.7  even though the pandemic   expenditure which is crucial   and secondary level in the   purposes in classrooms.   with 100 per cent access. This
 Madhya Pradesh   16.8  14.7  created huge disruptions in   for building human capital and   states. There are reports of   Furthermore, only 35.8 per   is followed by Chandigarh
 Maharashtra   18.6  15.9  the education system, with the   reaping the demographic   inadequacy of government   cent of government schools   (98.7 per cent) and Gujarat
 Odisha   15.1  15.5  closure of schools and   advantage.  schools, especially in the rural   have functional computers,   (92 per cent). However, on
 Punjab   11.8  12.5  colleges and the non-access of   areas and acute shortage of   compared to 68.5 per cent of   the other end of the spectrum
 Rajasthan   17.9  17.7  digital education among the   The inadequate attention   trained and motivated   government-aided schools and   are the North-Eastern and
                                   teachers. For instance,
                                                              73.3 per cent of private
        accorded to education is
 Tamil Nadu   16.4  13.1  poor. This has worsened the   impacting the enrolment rate   according to a State of   schools. This means that 64.2   populous states such as
 Telangana   10.0  7.6  rich-poor divide and impacted   at the school level. No doubt,   Education Report 2021   per cent of government   Mizoram (7.9 per cent), Bihar
 education outcomes by
                                                                                          (11.1 per cent); Assam (11.7
 Uttar Pradesh   15.5  12.7  pushing back learning among   according to the Ministry of   brought out by UNESCO,   schools still lack working   per cent) and Odisha (14.9
 Uttarakhand   20.6  18.7
 children.  Education, Government of   India’s school system lacks   computers.           per cent) where access to
 West Bengal   18.1  16.8  India, there has been an   enough teachers and has a           internet is scarce.
 Source: RBI State Finances  The numbers also indicate   improvement in gross   poor student-teacher ratio.   The state-wise statistics
 that while there has been   enrollment ratio (GER) in   The pupil-teacher ratio (PTR)   revealed an asymmetric
 Per Capita Education Spending of Key States (Rs)  some improvement in per   2021-22 at the primary, upper   is worse at senior secondary   availability of functional   A DETERIORATION
 capita fund allocation to   primary and higher secondary   schools at 47:1 as against 26:1   computers in schools across   IN LEARNING
    Pre-pandemic  Post-pandemic  education at the state level,   levels as compared to   of overall school system.   different states of the country.   OUTCOMES HAS
    2019-20   2021-22 (RE)  this has been accompanied by   2020-21. Notably, GER in   Moreover, a total of 11.16 lakh   In this respect, Delhi and
 wide differences among states   higher secondary has made   teaching positions in schools   Lakshadweep were found to   BEEN SEEN AMONG
 Bihar   2532  4668  in terms of per capita   significant improvement from   are still lying vacant in the   have taken the top spot, with   STUDENTS DURING
 Chhattisgarh   6380  7139  education spending. For   53.8 per cent in 2021-21 to   country, out of which, 69 per   100 per cent of the schools   THE POST-
 Gujarat   4170  4801  example, per capita spending   57.6 per cent in 2021-22. But   cent are in rural areas. Around   having functional computers   PANDEMIC YEARS
 Haryana   5865  6536  on education varied from Rs.   all this is much below the   10 to 15 per cent of schools   used for instructional
 2882 in Uttar Pradesh and   levels achieved in advanced   in several states are   purposes. This is followed by
 Jharkhand   3033  3672
 Rs.3581 in Telangana to Rs.   countries. For example,   single-teacher institutions.   Chandigarh with 99.6 per cent   It is also noted that fund flow
 Karnataka   4537  4846  9009 in Uttarakhand and Rs.   according to OECD, around   Further, up to 69 per cent of   of its schools having functional   to education should be
 Kerala   5619  7633  7633 in Kerala, a difference of   61 per cent of 3–5-year-olds   its teachers are working   computers utilized for   conditional on ensuring a good
 Madhya Pradesh   4168  4353  as much as six times between   in India were enrolled in early   without job contracts.   pedagogical purposes. Similarly,   quality of education among
 the progressive and laggard   childhood education            Punjab (99.5 per cent), Kerala   states. In this context, it is
 Maharashtra   5568  6375
 states. And this is having an   programmes in 2020 as   What is more, the prevalence   (98.2 per cent), Gujarat (97.8   evidenced that while amenities
 Odisha   4285  5299  impact on education   compared to an average of 83   of digital infrastructure in   per cent) and Haryana (91.6   such as drinking water
 Punjab   3996  5080  outcomes.  per cent in OECD countries.   schools, which is critical for   per cent) are doing well in   availability, toilets, average
 Rajasthan   5003  6539  Further, only 21 per cent of   building the knowledge   terms of imparting digital   teacher attendance etc have
        25–34-year-olds in India had a   economy, is uneven and   learning.               somewhat improved between
 Tamil Nadu   5371  5374
        tertiary qualification in 2020   disproportionate between                         2018 and 2022, there has been
 Telangana   3322  3581  compared to 47 per cent on   states, with the populous and   However, seven states —   a deterioration in learning
 Uttar Pradesh   2792  2882  an average across OECD   poor states emerging as   including Assam (16.3 per   outcomes among students
 Uttarakhand   7811  9009  countries.  laggards. This is resulting in the   cent), Meghalaya (17.8 per   during the post- pandemic
                                   widening of digital divide,   cent), West Bengal (18.1 per   years. For instance, according
 West Bengal   3540  4211
 Source: RBI State Finances


 24  ANALYSIS, RESEARCH, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY                                ANALYSIS, RESEARCH, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY  25
                                                                                           QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
 QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
 MAY 2023                                                                                               MAY 2023
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