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Unit 20: Secondary Education: Concept and Need

As well. But as Table 1.2 below indicates, countries such as Vietnam and Moldova have Notes
lower per capita income than India and much higher gross enrollment rates. Bangladesh,
with a far lower per capita income than India, has roughly the same enrollment rate at the
secondary level. The relative success of these countries suggests that India is
underperforming at the secondary level, and has scope for significantly increasing secondary
enrollment given its current (and projected) GDP per capita. It also suggests that India
may lose some private sector investment to these other countries which have much higher
secondary enrollment rates.
Table 20.1
Secondary Gross Enrollment Rates by Country
Country DP/Capita (US$) Secondary GER (%)
India 720 52
Bangladesh 470 52
Brazil 3,460 110
China 1,740 81
Indonesia 1,280 61
Kenya 530 48
Moldova 690 74
Mexico 7,310 79
Nicaragua 910 61
Pakistan 690 44
Peru 2,610 90
Philippines 1,300 84
Sri Lanka 1,160 83
Vietnam 620 72
Given their similar sizes and recent strong economic growth rates, it is worthwhile to compare
India with China, from the perspective of the stock of skills in the labor force (educational
attainment among the share of the population aged 15 and older). The figures below, from the
World Bank’s recent publication, “The Knowledge Economy and Education and Training in
South Asia” (2007), show that despite the increasing secondary enrollment, India lags far behind
China. In fact, the share of the population which had completed secondary education in China
in 1975 (31 percent) was twice the figure for the same indicator in India in 2004 (16 percent). The
current speed of secondary enrollment expansion in India is insufficient to catch up with other
parts of the world, especially East Asia (a major global competitor).
Larger proportion of the population aged 15 and older have completed higher education in
India compared to China. But over the last 10 years, China has aggressively expanded its higher
education system such that its enrollment rate (21 percent) is now twice that of India’s. This has
triggered concern in India and the current draft of the 11th Five-Year Plan calls for massive
investments in the expansion of higher education over the next ten years, with the goal of
doubling its size. Obviously, such an expansion will only be possible if secondary education
expands first.
Conclusion: The rationale for public investment in secondary education lies in its contribution
to economic growth, demonstrated high social benefits, positive impact on equity, ability to
overcome education market failures and household misperceptions of the value of secondary
education, preparation for higher education and generation of knowledge, and, finally, its
contribution to democratic citizenship and social cohesion.

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