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Looking Beyond Literacy: Disparities in Levels of and Access to Education in a Kerala Village
Kerala, the southernmost state of India, is increasingly celebrated as a ‘model’ for third world countries to emulate due to its higher levels of literacy, universal enrollment in schools and better educational facilities. This paper discusses the findings of a micro level study conducted in a villa...
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| Format: | Printed Book |
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Ahmedabad
Gujarat Institute of Development Research
2009
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| Online Access: | http://10.26.1.76/ks/005151.pdf |
| Summary: | Kerala, the southernmost state of India, is increasingly celebrated as a
‘model’ for third world countries to emulate due to its higher levels of
literacy, universal enrollment in schools and better educational facilities.
This paper discusses the findings of a micro level study conducted in a
village in Kerala and presents a picture that calls for a critical re-thinking of
the widely circulated and celebrated indicators of education in the state.
The study brings to light certain disquieting tendencies such as high
inequalities in the educational attainments of the population despite the
overall positive outcomes. The scheduled castes still stand at the bottom of
the ladder in terms of educational attainments. Drop out rates at the tenth
standard are relatively high and entry barriers limit the access to higher
education. The narrow role of the state in the provision of higher education,
especially, professional/job-oriented education has led to a situation where
the vulnerable groups find themselves with limited choices in higher
education. In addition, lower employment opportunities together with lower
earnings among the educated groups act as disincentives for enrollment in
higher education. The study highlights the imperative need for micro level
studies or an approach from ‘below’ to bring out more nuances associated
with education in Kerala. |
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| Item Description: | Working Paper No. 190 |