Numerous global programs – AID, loans, etc – are based on economic and human development indices. The 2004 Human Development Index published by UNDP provides a fresh look at South Asia from within the filter of such indices. In the first of a series of articles, we analyze some numbers regarding the state of education in various parts of South Asia and gauge the commitment of various South Asian nations to providing infrastructure for education to its future generations.

China is included in this analysis for the purpose of a more complete analysis of South Asia.

While there are numerous critiques of schooling, in a world where societies are arranged through nation states, the school is a nation’s most tangible commitment to learning. One of the most important numbers that define such a commitment is access to primary education. It measures the infrastructure that the state can make available to its children that will enable the most basic abilities to read and write.

The fraction of children who have been enrolled in some kind of school is above 80% for most of South Asia. Numbers were not available for Bhutan and Pakistan. For Nepal, that number is about 70%.

Having been enrolled, however, the fraction of children who are able to continue up to fifth grade (completing primary education) is rather low. Numbers were not available for Pakistan and Maldives. Sri Lanka and Bhutan are able to maintain their enrollment at about 90% - pretty close to China’s numbers. Nepal’s numbers are above 75%, Bangladesh’s at 65% while India’s drop to less than 60%. This is a reflection, in India at least, of literacy programs (where children are superficially exposed to some form of reading and writing) rather than a sustained effort at providing these basic skills to children.

Interestingly, UNDP’s numbers on Bangladesh are very different from the numbers that Bangladesh’s own claims which are much higher (see an earlier article on education and the budget of Bangladesh). Even so, Bangladesh has seen an amazing turn around in the last decade. Whereas it was trailing most of South Asia at the beginning of the 90’s today it is next to Sri Lanka and Bhutan and ahead of India despite India’s economic growth during that period and its claim to technological and military progress.

In any case, these numbers only tell us how many people are enrolled. As numerous agencies have reported, numbers on the books differ significantly from how many children actually attend school and even that is no indicator of the extent of learning at these centers.

A more comprehensive account of fraction of children and young adults (from among the population of the appropriate age) that is going to school (primary, secondary or tertiary) is provided by the combined gross enrollment. Given the numbers primary enrollment and retention to fifth grade, these numbers provided by UNDP seem to be estimates on the higher side.

The literacy rates of adults also points to the numbers presented in the Combined Gross Enrollment being on the higher side.

The adult literacy programs are usually run separate from schools and colleges are often non-formal education programs that teach adults to read and write and perhaps do some basic math. The island nations of Maldives and Sri Lanka have among the highest adult literacy rates at about 90% followed by India at 60% and Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan at 40%.

These trends are strongly correlated to each country’s education budget. Bangladesh has seen such a strong turn around in education owing to a commitment of over 2.3% of its budget being allocated to education. Bhutan is over 5%, Nepal is over 3%, Sri Lanka is at 1.3% while Pakistan is at 1%. India’s commitment to the education of its people hovers at about 0.5% - this despite a new amendment that makes education a right of every child.

With among the lowest human development indices, most of South Asia needs radical refocusing of its resources on education. In the absence of that happening, it is hard to see how the future generations will be empowered to find their way out of the current quagmire – in terms of living standards – that is South Asia.

Data for this analysis was obtained from UNDP website: http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/