PANAJI
Private coaching is fast becoming the unseen classroom in Goa, but a new report by the Union government shows that it is mostly urban school children who are more likely to be involved in this system compared to their rural counterparts.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s sample survey has revealed that while just over one in ten urban primary pupils turned to coaching this year, the figure surged to nearly half at the middle school level -- compared to barely one in ten of their rural peers.
The report titled ‘Comprehensive Modular Survey, Education 2025’ revealed that 10.6 per cent of urban primary school students in Goa availed private coaching during the current academic year, compared to 7.4 per cent in rural areas. The gap widened sharply in higher classes: at the middle school level, 44.2 per cent of urban students reported taking coaching against just 9.3 per cent in rural parts.
The difference was most pronounced in higher secondary education, with over 70 per cent of urban students taking extra classes, compared to only 26.8 per cent of rural students. At the secondary level, however, the survey noted an unusual trend -- 60.4 per cent of rural students reported availing coaching, largely driven by a high proportion of female students (84.7 per cent).
Rural students spend more than urban peers
Private coaching in Goa is also draining the pockets of families in rural areas, often more heavily than in towns.
According to the survey, rural students in the State spent an average of Rs 3,394 a year on coaching, only slightly less than the Rs 3,559 spent by their urban counterparts. But the gap widened when only those who actually availed such classes were taken into account: rural students shelled out an average of Rs 18,596 per year, compared with Rs 11,837 among urban students.
The numbers turned even starker for gender as rural girls who took coaching recorded the highest annual spending at Rs 20,542, much above rural boys (Rs 13,044) and urban girls (Rs 13,234).
The survey also highlighted students’ dependency on their families to fund education. Nearly 89 per cent of students relied on a single source of funding, with as many as 97.2 per cent drawing support from household members. Government scholarships, the report noted, did not feature in the list.
GOA V/S NAT TRENDS
The ministry’s findings observed that 25.5 per cent of students in rural India and 30.7 per cent in urban areas have availed private coaching during the academic year. While the national average expenditure per student stood at Rs 2,409, it is lower than the State average.
Across India, around 95 per cent of students reported household members as their primary source of funding for education.
While releasing the report, the ministry has cautioned that in smaller States like Goa, limited sample sizes may affect the reliability of some indicators.
“While using the State/UT-level estimates, it may be noted that the sample sizes for the smaller States/UTs may not be adequate for getting sufficiently reliable estimates for some indicators. The survey-based estimated totals are used to compute rates and ratios only. It may not be prudent to use survey-based estimated totals to interpret any results in absolute terms. The data users are requested to make due diligence while interpreting the survey results,” the note for readers stated.
