New
Delhi: The authorities may want more scientists but the opportunity for
studying science at school level seems to be dismally limited. Less
than a third of schools offer the subject at the higher-secondary
(Classes XI and XII) level across the country. Only 30.07% high schools
in India offer the science stream and only in 11 states/ union
territories—including Delhi—more than 50% schools teach science. Data
collected through the Secondary Education Management Information System
(SEMIS) and collated in the S E M I S F l a s h S t a t i s t i c s: 2 0
1 2-1 3, also shows that boys outnumber girls in science classes in
most states.
“Most of higher-secondary education is in private
hands,” observes Professor R Govinda, vice-chancellor of National
University of Educational Planning and Management. “To offer science,
you need laboratories, equipment and other facilities—it’s very
resource-intensive. Many private schools choose to teach just arts and
commerce due to this,” he says. In Delhi, most higher-secondary schools
are under the Directorate of Education (52.24%) and 33.73% are private, unaided institutions. But nationally, the maximum number of high schools—41.04%—is private-unaided.
Govinda feels the shortage of teachers is also a factor. “For
high school, you need a master’s degree and in some places, even a
B.Ed,” he explains, “You may not get people with the right
qualifications in some rural or remote areas. Also, you’ll need teachers
who’ve specialized. We don’t have enough teachers.”
Only 51.71%
Delhi high schools offer science whereas 86.56% offer arts and 78.39%
commerce. The only state/UT where all high schools have science is Lakshadweep. In Tamil Nadu 86.51% and in Puducherry 82.58% schools have
it.
The gender imbalance in science classes in north India is
startling. In Delhi, where many girls schools don’t offer science—60,837
boys study them as opposed to 33,768 girls; in UP it’s 4,95,574 boys
and 1,64,882 girls. In Gujarat, 95,836 boys study high school science as
opposed to 47,520 girls. But, on a positive note, the gap is not so
wide is several states. In Andhra Pradesh, the number of girls (75,434)
is practically equal to the number of boys (75,471). And in states/UTs
like Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu (south
and northeast), girls outnumber boys in science classes.
