Around 1,500 government schools in Telangana are closing due to a lack of students. This is just the beginning of a larger issue caused by declining fertility rates. These factors should be considered when developing education policies for the state.
According to the National Family Health Survey, the percentage of females aged 6 and above who have attended school is higher in urban areas (76.9%) compared to rural areas (51.4%). The population below the age of 15 is slightly higher in urban areas (23.4%) than in rural areas (22.0%). Overall, the state average stands at 22.5%.
The sex ratio (females per 1,000 males) is higher in rural areas (1,070) compared to urban areas (1,015). The sex ratio at birth for the past five years is also higher in rural areas (907) compared to urban areas (873). These statistics show that fertility rates are declining, which will result in fewer children in the long run.
The NFHS-5 survey reveals that a significant number of women in urban areas (16.7%) and men in rural areas (21.1%) are getting married before the legal age. The average age of marriage is lower in rural areas compared to urban areas.
The total fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children per woman, is 1.8 in urban areas and 1.7 in rural areas, with a state average of 1.8. This rate is below the global standard of 2.1, which is considered the replacement level fertility rate for population stability.
With these declining fertility rates, there will be fewer children available to attend school. This trend should be taken into account when planning for the future of education in Telangana.
