The enrollment of women in distance learning programs in Maharashtra has experienced a significant decline during the academic year 2021-22. This downturn comes on the heels of a remarkable surge in the previous pandemic-affected academic year of 2020-21. This unexpected shift has prompted a closer look into the factors contributing to this trend and its potential consequences for higher education in the state.
Divergent Trends on State and National Levels
The situation in Maharashtra stands in stark contrast to the national landscape. Nationally, female enrollment in distance learning programs initially decreased from 19.05 lakh in 2019-20 to 18.05 lakh but then rebounded to 18.41 lakh in 2021-22. This discrepancy underscores the unique challenges faced by the state's education system. When examining the trajectory of female enrollment in regular courses within Maharashtra, it showed only marginal growth from 17.14 lakh pre-Covid to 17.18 lakh during the pandemic year, eventually reaching 17.64 lakh later on. In contrast, male enrollment in higher education institutions in Maharashtra exhibited steady growth during this period, both in distance and regular courses across all education levels.
Implications
The fluctuation in female enrollment has broader implications for the state's higher education landscape. Overall, the female enrollment in the state declined by approximately 0.94%, while male enrollment surged by 2.04%, resulting in a total enrollment growth of 0.7%. This comparison is less favorable when considering the national growth in higher education enrollment, which stood at 4.56%. Additionally, the drop in female enrollment caused the state's gender parity index (GPI) to decrease from 0.92 in 2020-21 to 0.9 in 2021-22. The national GPI, which had been at 1.05, also regressed to the 2017-18 level of 1.01.
Expert Insights
Experts have attributed the unusual surge in female enrollment during the pandemic to a lack of employment and matrimonial opportunities. Many women pursuing distance learning programs held small-scale jobs, particularly in urban areas, but lost them due to Covid restrictions. Some were also awaiting marriage and decided to enroll in postgraduate courses. However, as restrictions eased, a surge in weddings led to a significant drop-out rate among women. Vinod Malale, deputy registrar (public relations) at the University of Mumbai's Distance and Open Learning Institute, also pointed to the stringent new norms for distance learning introduced by the University Grants Commission as a contributing factor to the lower enrollment levels.
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