Despite the allocation of Rs 1,400 crore for 2007-08, the percentage of out-of-school children here has increased to 5.7 — compared to the last year’s figure of 4.8.

The national average of the out-of-school children — which includes both dropouts and children who never attended school — is 4.3 per cent.

The figures are from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) — compiled by the NGO Pratham after a national study was released in Delhi by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, on January 13.

According to the report, even in Bihar, the percentage of out-of-school students dropped from last year’s 12.8 to 5.7. But the learning level in Bengal has deteriorated compared to last year.

Also, the learning parameters in the state present a grimmer picture.

In mathematics, only 29.4 per cent children of Class V could divide correctly a three-digit number by a single-digit number, whereas the national average is 37 per cent. In the survey of 2006-07, the students of West Bengal fared far better, with 60 per cent students correctly doing the division.

In terms of reading and comprehension, only 44.5 per cent of Class V students could read a text of Class II from a government-approved textbook.

The overall national average is 56.2 per cent. The state had done far better last year, with 66.5 per cent students reading such texts correctly.

The survey was done in all districts of the state — selecting 20 households from each of 30 villages from each district. The mapping was done between September 2008 and January 2009. And the data was collected from the children of 6-14 years of age.

In each district, Pratham selected partner institutions and the list includes the Department of Social Work, Visva Bharati University, Gour Mahavidyalaya, University of Kalyani and the sociology department of Bankura Christian College.

“It is not the only report that has highlighted the lacunae in school education and more specifically primary education,” said Sanjib Kundu, the state head of Pratham. “Various reports of NCERT and other agencies have come up with such results. This is because education is a political agenda in this state and is not taken seriously.”

The lack of teachers and dysfunctional Village Education Committees add to the problem, Kundu added.