EDUCATION AND CULTURE

SECONDARY EDUCATION

The progress of secondary education in the district has been quite appreciable. The growth in the number of secondary schools, teachers and students enrolled in the different talukas of the district for the years 1951, 1956 and 1961 is detailed in table No. 8.

The number of secondary schools was 96 in 1961 and 113 as on 31st March 1962. The secondary schools were dispersed throughout the district. Karmala and Akkalkot had four each which was the smallest number in the district. North Sholapur had as many as 24 secondary schools. During the same period each secondary school, on an average, served 16,654 population. There were 279 students per school while the pupil-teacher ratio was put at 1: 25.

The number of secondary institutions, students and teachers for a few years is shown below:-

The enrolment in the secondary education per 1,000 population is 27 as against 32 and 42 per 1,000 population of Pune division and the State as a whole, respectively.

The following statement gives the strength of students according to standard during 1966-67:-

DISTRIBUTION OF PUPILS BY STANDARD

Government have introduced various schemes to promote education by giving facilities for economically backward class population. The schemes envisage giving free education to students whose parents' income is Rs. 1,800 or less per year. Under the scheme the number of students taking benefit increased from 16,950 in 1961-62 to 22,823 in 1963-64. The following statement gives the percentage of such beneficiaries in Sholapur district as compared to that of Pune division from 1961-62 to 1963-64:-

The growth amongst beneficiaries was rather low in Sholapur district (6 per cent) as compared to that of Pune division (9 per cent) during the years under reference.

In 1965-66 the total number of beneficiaries under the schemes was 25,922. In the year 1970-71 the number rose to 36,441. The concessions granted to them in 1970-71 amounted to Rs. 3,42,000 as compared to Rs. 17,60,000 in the year 1965-66. The number of backward class students studying in the secondary institutions is shown in the following:-

N. A.=Not available.

Expansion of secondary schools: With universalisation of primary education, expansion of secondary education would become inevitable. At present there are 220 secondary institutions. Sixty additional schools will be able to cope up with the increased strength during the Fifth Plan. The outlay proposed in the Fifth Plan is 42.27 lakhs.

Secondary School Certificate Examination Board, Pune, conducts public examination at the end of the secondary school course. Two examinations are held every year in March and October. Barshi, Pandharpur, Sholapur and Akkalkot are the examination centres in the district.

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