Dropping out of school is a persistent challenge in the path of Muslims seeking education in India. This trend is revealed afresh in a report prepared by Prof. Arun Mehta, former head of the Department of Educational Management Information System at the National University of Educational Planning and Administration or NIEPA.
Mehta has analyzed the data available from the Unified District Information System for Education or UDISE and the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) and found that the increase in new Muslim student enrolment is at only 1.29 percentage points. The share of Muslim enrolment in the total enrolment in primary classes (1st to 5th) was 15.62% in 2021-22, a slightincrease from 14.20% in 2012-13.
However, based on their share of enrolment in higher secondary, the possibility of Muslim students continuing their education has increased by 2.52 percentage points. In 2012-13, 8.27% students in classes 11th and 12th grade were Muslim, which gradually increased to 10.76% in 2021-22.
Therefore, there is a significant gap between the share in enrolment of Muslim students in the primary sections compared with the senior sections.
Indeed, the share of Muslim enrolment over total enrolment in 2021-22 aligns with its share in the population recorded in the 2011 Census,at 14.31%. However, this share can only be attributed to the presence of Muslim children in primary and upper primary sections – after all, the share of Muslims enrolled in schools decreases as the level of education rises.
To sum up, there has been a gradual increase in retention of Muslim students but the significant dropout rate also persists.
The lower share of Muslim children in secondary classes (9th & 10th Grades) compared with primary and upper primary classes indicates that Muslim children are more likely to drop out before clearing the 5th Grade to 8th Grade level.
For instance, in 2021-22, the share of Muslim children in primary, secondary and higher secondary was at 15.62%, 14.41%, 12.61% and 10.76% respectively.
The picture in Indian states looks much the same (with a minimal disparity in Kerala) if one were to exclude Muslim-majority State Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
India’s Muslim population is largely concentrated in Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Based on the 2011 Census data, Prof. Mehta’s report finds that 58% of the country’s 17.22 crore Muslims live in these five states.
The report also observes that across all States and Union Territories, the percentage of Muslim children enrolled in higher secondary education is lower than in all other levels of education. This may indicate drop-outs in enrolment at this level. The data also shows that the percentage of Muslim children enrolled in primary to higher secondary schooling is generally higher than those enrolled in secondary education (Grades 9th & 10th). This data suggests that many Muslim children enroll in primary education but do not continue their education beyond, leading to the fall in enrolment in subsequent classes.
We can conclude that these States play a significant role in determining India’s overall performance in terms of the education of Muslims. All five states have shown a decrease in the share of Muslim children as the level of education rises. It means the trend of dropping out remains constant despite the high share of Muslims in the population.