In 2018, I discovered that India’s gross enrollment ratio (GER) in higher education was just 27%. Only 27% of students were pursuing college education, and the situation was even worse for rural students, where only 1 out of 5 got a chance to enter college. This statistic stuck with me, fueling my drive to work in the social sector and has been a key focus area in the work we do and partners we choose at EdZola.
The core question for me became: How can a country progress if only 27% of its youth are receiving higher education? This led me to the realization that, if we want to propel India forward, we must focus on improving this GER. Through our work at EdZola, we collaborate with various organizations addressing issues such as out-of-school (OOSc) children, women’s education, and youth skill development, all of which contribute to lifting the GER.
As I reflect on the possibilities of moving India’s GER from 27% to 100%, many questions come to mind. Consider this: countries like the United States boast a GER of around 88% in higher education, China sits at 59.6%, and the UK has 62%. These countries not only have higher enrollment rates but also benefit from greater innovation, stronger economies, and higher standards of living. India, with its GER still at 29.4% clearly has room for improvement.
Achieving 100% GER is more than just a numbers game. It requires us to ask critical questions:
- Do we have enough colleges and universities?
- Do we have sufficient teachers to educate the millions of new students?
- Is our infrastructure—classrooms, labs, and libraries—ready to support such a massive influx?
- And once students graduate, do we have the jobs and opportunities available to them?
Countries with high GERs have shown that investing in education can result in positive second-order effects like economic growth, improved innovation, and a more skilled workforce. But reaching 100% GER in India would require a nationwide effort to expand infrastructure, train teachers, and ensure job creation. These are the questions I want to explore further—not just for myself, but for anyone interested in the future of education and its impact on our country's development.
So, as you read this, I invite you to reflect on these questions with me. What do you think it would take to make 100% GER a reality in India? And what kind of country could we become if we achieved it?
Let’s start the conversation. The journey to 100% starts with a question, but it ends with action.
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