NFhS-5 survey : Preschools a hit among rural kids in Ludhiana district

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, June 3

More children are going to preschools in the villages than the urban areas in Ludhiana district, a national survey has revealed.

The study also highlighted that more girls than boys were attending the preparatory school in Ludhiana.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, has showed that Ludhiana has ranked poor 16th in the state with only 24.2 per cent of its kids, aged 2 to 4 years, attending the preparatory school. This was also much lower than the state’s average of 31.1 per cent attendance during the 2019-21 academic sessions.

Surprisingly, the rural areas in the district took the lead by sending 27 per cent of its children, aged 2 to 4 years, to the preschool, while only 22.1 per cent of toddlers were attending the preparatory school in the district.

Interestingly, 33.3 per cent girls in rural areas and 22.9 per cent female in the urban areas of the district were going to preschool as compared to 19 per cent boys in villages and 21.6 per cent male in the cities. Also of the total 24.2 per cent kids attending preparatory school in the district, 28.3 per cent were girls and 20.7 per cent were boys.

The current survey, fifth in the NFHS series, which provides information on population, health and nutrition for India and each state and Union Territory, with district-level estimates for many important indicators, a copy of which is with The Tribune, indicated that 31.1 per cent kids were going to preschool in Punjab, including 32.9 per cent girls and 29.6 per cent boys.

As was the case in Ludhiana, Punjab’s ruralites were also leading in sending their toddlers to preparatory school as 34.5 per cent kids, including 34.5 per cent girls and 32.1 per cent boys, were attending preschool in the state’s rural areas compared to 27.4 per cent attendance of such children, including 30.1 per cent girls and 25.3 per cent boys, in the urban areas.

While Bathinda topped the state with the highest ratio of 49.7 per cent preschool attendance, Jalandhar remained the laggard with the lowest of 16.7 per cent toddlers attending the preparatory school.

The district-wise figures revealed that Kapurthala’s 36 per cent kids, including 40.3 per cent boys and 31.1 per cent girls, were going to preschool, Hoshiarpur’s 33.2 per cent, including 35.8 per cent girls and 30.8 per cent boys, Nawanshahr’s 19.5 per cent, including 20.9 per cent girls and 18.1 per cent boys, Fatehgarh Sahib’s 23.8 per cent, including 35.1 per cent girls and 16.6 per cent boys, Moga’s 38.7 per cent, including 43 per cent boys and 34.1 per cent girls, Faridkot’s 45 per cent, including 50.3 per cent girls and 41.7 per cent boys, Mansa’s 41 per cent, including 52.1 per cent girls and 31.2 per cent boys, Patiala’s 28.1 per cent, including 31.9 per cent girls and 24.8 per cent boys, Amritsar’s 23.5 per cent, including 25.1 per cent girls and 22 per cent boys, Tarn Taran’s 26.4 per cent, including 31.5 per cent boys and 21.5 per cent girls, Ropar’s 17.6 per cent, including 25.6 per cent girls and 11.5 per cent boys, Mohali’s 19.8 per cent, including 22.2 per cent girls and 18.1 per cent boys, Sangrur’s 47.1 per cent, including 47.3 per cent girls and 46.9 per cent boys, Barnala’s 45.7 per cent, including 46.5 per cent girls and 45.1 per cent boys, Fazilka’s 46.6 per cent, including 50.1 per cent boys and 42.7 per cent girls, Ferozepur’s 41.1 per cent, including 47 per cent girls and 35.9 per cent boys, Gurdaspur’s 24.5 per cent, including 25.6 per cent girls and 23.8 per cent boys, and 26.8 per cent toddlers, including 30.2 per cent boys and 22.4 per cent girls, were attending the preparatory school in the border district of Pathankot.

Exceptions

Except Kapurthala, Moga, Muktsar, Tarn Taran, Fazilka, and Pathankot districts, the other 16 districts reported more girls going to preschool than boys in the state.

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