2015年-世界发展银行全球_Background_Report_on_Access_Equity_Excellence_and_Finance_in_Higher_Education_in_Bihar_42页_1mb

Summary of the Background Report on Higher Education in Bihar

Core Content

This report provides an overview of the access, equity, excellence, and finance in higher education in Bihar, India, as part of the World Bank's support for the state's educational reforms. It is intended to serve as a baseline for the Bihar State Higher Education Plan and to inform policy-makers and stakeholders regarding the challenges and opportunities in achieving the ambitious goals of the "Mission Manav Vikas – Inclusion Through Education" initiative.

Main Points

1. Access to Higher Education

• Bihar's Gross Enrollment Rate (GER) in higher education is 10.5%, significantly lower than the national average of 19.4%.
• The state has a large and growing young population aged 18-23, estimated at 7.4 million, with 32.6% never having attended any educational institution.
• 42.5% of young people have some education but are not currently enrolled in higher education.
• Only 15.6% of young people have completed school, with 8.2% being graduates and 0.5% holding diplomas or certificates.
• The transition rate from higher secondary to higher education is 58%, which is lower than the national average of 67.55%.

2. Equity in Higher Education

• Bihar performs poorly in terms of access for women and minority communities, with only 42% of higher education students being female.
• The gender parity index is among the lowest in India, and women's enrollment is particularly low in medical and engineering fields.
• Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) have the lowest access to higher education, with GERs of 2.5% and 8.6%, respectively.
• Spatial distribution shows that access to higher education is uneven across districts, with urban areas having better access than rural areas.

3. Excellence in Higher Education

• Student-teacher ratios in Bihar are high (39:1), with university colleges and local bodies having even higher ratios (47:1 and 63:1, respectively).
• Faculty shortages and low expertise at the junior level hinder the quality of teaching and supervision for postgraduate and doctoral students.
• Accreditation and UGC grants are limited, with only 6 colleges and no universities in Bihar qualifying for "institutions with potential for excellence".
• Infrastructure is lacking, with 21% of institutions not having laboratories, 44% lacking computer centers, and health centers and cafeterias being absent in most colleges and universities.

4. Financing of Higher Education

• Bihar's expenditure on higher education as a proportion of total public education expenditure is 15%, which is relatively high compared to the national average of 10%.
• However, per capita expenditure is Rs. 1221, which is less than a third of the national average of Rs. 3865.
• Student fees are a major source of income for colleges, contributing 19% of their financial income in 2010-11.
• Salaries account for 77% of the total expenditure in Bihar's higher education system, which is lower than in other states like Madhya Pradesh (90%).
• Private financing is limited, and the state will need to increase both public and private investment to meet the goals of raising GER to 30% by 2017.

Key Information

• Future Demand: Bihar is expected to have a transition rate of up to 73% by 2023, which will significantly increase the number of students entering higher education.
• Enrolment Growth: The CAGR of students passing out of the Bihar Education Board has been 14.6% from 2005 to 2010.
• Institutional Spread: The average size of colleges in Bihar is 1840 students, which is larger than the national average but low by international standards.
• Institutional Types: Private aided institutions have the largest average enrolments, while private unaided and rural colleges are smaller.
• Governance Reforms: A working group chaired by Prof. N.R. Menon has been formed to revise the University Act and improve institutional governance.

Challenges and Opportunities

• Low GER and uneven distribution of institutions require strategic expansion and investment.
• Gender and social disparities in access and participation must be addressed through targeted policies.
• Improving faculty quality and increasing accreditation are critical for enhancing the excellence and relevance of higher education.
• Infrastructure development and modernization of teaching methods are necessary to support quality education.
• Private investment and student fees need to be leveraged more effectively to supplement public funding.
• Data collection on graduation rates and employment outcomes is essential to guide future policy decisions.

Conclusion

This report highlights the urgent need for expansion, equity, and quality improvements in Bihar's higher education system. It outlines the current state of access, equity, excellence, and finance, and provides a baseline for future planning. The Mission Manav Vikas aims to significantly raise the GER, but achieving this will require substantial investment, institutional reforms, and policy interventions to ensure equitable access, improved quality, and relevance to the labor market.