Education pyramid
Topic: Human Capital: Education, Health and Demographic Dividend · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Human Capital Formation in India"
Meaning
The education pyramid shows how many people reach each level of education. The base is primary school and the top is higher education. India's pyramid is steep. Many children enter school, but fewer and fewer reach each higher level. This matters because a thin top means few people gain the advanced skills needed for high-productivity jobs, research and teacher training.
Example
Almost all children now finish primary school: in 2017-18, primary completion was 93% for boys and 96% for girls. But AISHE 2021-22 put the higher-education Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at only 28.4%. The GER is the number enrolled as a share of the population in the relevant age group. NEP 2020 aims for a GER of 50% by 2035.
Don't confuse with
- Population pyramid: this shows a country's population by age and sex. It has nothing to do with levels of schooling.
Related concepts
- Literacy rate
- Adult literacy rate
- Educational attainment
- Gender equity in education
- Tertiary education
- School dropouts