The gradual decline in student enrolment in government-run schools in West Bengal has received some attention over the past few years, yet the multiplier effects of this trend remain poorly understood. The withdrawal of children from school is a matter of serious concern – especially when it occurs among historically disadvantaged communities.

The instrumental and intrinsic value of education is immense and manifests in myriad ways. In addition to having an impact on health outcomes, each additional year of schooling contributes to more secure employment opportunities. More importantly, education plays a vital role in expanding human capabilities.

The vulnerability of the marginalised sections is exacerbated by the absence of quality education. Despite the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009, education remains elusive for a section of citizens due to their socio-economic position.

Our analysis seeks to map this landscape and understand the deeper implications of educational exclusion among the students from Scheduled Caste communities in West Bengal.

We take the enrolment data from District Information System for Education (DISE) for 2011-12, 2015-16 and 2020-21 to understand the trend in the enrolment of the students from SC communities in the last decade. 

Total enrolment vs enrolment from SC communities

From 2011-12 to 2015-16, total enrolment in West Bengal declined. This was followed by a rise in enrolment between 2015-16 and 2021-22. 

However, the SC category witnessed a continuous decline in total enrolment in the last decade even when the total enrolment increased in the state. 

Enrolment at different levels of education

The disaggregated level data for the successive stages of education shows the source of the problem. 

In the first period (2011-12 to 2015-16), the total enrolment of SC students decreased. This decline can be attributed to the primary level, as the enrolment in upper primary, secondary and higher-secondary level increased during this period. 

Within the primary level, the main decline came from female students. The rate of reduction of enrolment in the primary level was around 20% for boys and around 21% for girls. (See table 1)

Table 1

In the second period (2015-16 and 2020-21), the total enrolment of SC students further declined. But unlike the earlier period, the total enrolment declined for all successive levels of education except the higher-education level. 

Total enrolment in the primary level [2015-16 to 2020-21] declined for both genders at around 3%, with the decline being marginally higher for boys. At the upper-primary level, female students witnessed a relatively higher reduction in enrolment compared to boys in the same period.  

At the secondary level, total enrolment [2015-16 to 2020-21] declined; however, this decline mainly came from the boys as girl students witnessed a marginal increase in enrolment. 

Also read: A Silent Exodus: Bengal’s Education Crisis is Forcing Students Out of Schools and Into Labour

At the higher secondary level, this trend reversed during the same period. The enrolment increased for both genders – a rise of 24% for girls and 3% for boys. These trends pose some serious concerns regarding the students of the SC community. For instance, if these students are not getting enrolled in a school at the primary level, then where are they going? (See Table 1)

Shift from government schools

Another important trend that emerges from the DISE data is that a shift has been observed from government to private and other types of schools. This trend has been observed for both genders. 

The rate of increase in enrolment for boys is higher in the case of private schools. In the first phase, the enrolment in government schools had declined by around 8%, whereas enrolment increased by nearly 58% for the other types of school and 14% for private schools. During the second period too the decline in the government school enrolment was around 8%, while the increase in private school enrolment was around 56% and 28% for other types of schools. (See Table 2)

Table 2

The decline in student enrolment in government schools is a well-known fact. However, the decreasing participation of students from the SC community in these institutions is particularly concerning and may have adverse long-term effects. One possible reason is the closure of many government schools, which has pushed even SC families – who aspire for upward social mobility – to send their children to private schools.

This shift has placed a disproportionate burden of out-of-pocket expenditure on education, especially for economically vulnerable families. In addition, the high cost of private tuition further compounds the financial strain. These factors often lead to children dropping out after secondary and higher-secondary levels.

If these communities are left behind, we risk failing to build a just and inclusive society – despite the national aspiration of a Viksit Bharat.

Debolina Biswas teaches economics at Gurudas College. Sabir Ahamed is a programme director at Pratichi Institute

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