Spatial Disparities of Senior Secondary Educational Attainment in Haryana

For development of human resources of a nation and to harness their full potential throughout their life, education of all human beings is of great importance. It is the process of teaching, learning and training skills which prepares them for successful life. Secondary Education though not “fundamental right” of people, yet government and society understand it important for prosperity and good health of its people. It is a link between secondary and higher education after which specialisation in the fields of education starts. It is a post-Secondary education. To provide it, a number of schemes, policies, programs have been framed from time to time by the government. Action plan included gender sensitisation to minimise the gender gap in educational attainment spatial disparities and in sequence monitored at various levels from time to time with the help of public and private agencies. Nonetheless, gender disparities are nearly universal in terms of educational attainment at each level. In the present study, Senior Secondary education has been selected as focus. It is a micro level study based on census 2011 data. Maps are prepared using GIS technology to analyse patterns of Senior Secondary education attained total population and in males and females separately at district level of Haryana.

Education -Education is the process of teaching, learning, training skills to human beings to prepare them for successful individual and social life. There have been different traditional and modern ways in India and in other countries of the world but the aim is common; i.e., preparation of better human resource and capital. Educational Level -The Educational level refers to the highest educational level attained by a person. A person who is studying in a particular level but has not yet completed it, is classified with reference to the immediate lower educational level attained. In the case of a person who holds both general and technical qualifications, either of equivalent or at varying levels, both these qualifications have been recorded. (Census of India 1981).
Educational attainment -Educational attainment is generally measured by the percentage distribution of various levels of educational attainment in the literate population above the age of 10 or 15. As sizable percentage of literates do not under go for education below this age. Only the formal courses actually passed are counted as educationally attained (Census of India 2011) Senior Secondary Education Level -It is postsecondary education level passed from schools after completion of secondary education in the schools.

INTRODUCTION
Level of education is one of the basic indicators of the level of development achieved by a society.
Communication, Industrialisation and Commerce grows horizontally and vertically with the spread of education. Education is an important input in overall development of individuals enabling them to comprehend their social, political and cultural environment better and respond to it appropriately. It acts as a catalyst for social upliftment enhancing the returns on investment made in almost every aspect of development effort, be it population control, health, hygiene, environmental degradation control, employment of weaker sections of the society.
Senior Secondary education level is the level after which Senior secondary education attained population decides direction for specialisation or drops further education for entry into jobs.
To provide it, a number of schemes, policies, programs have been framed from time to time by the government. Action plan included gender sensitisation to minimise the gender gap in educational attainment spatial disparities and in sequence monitored at various levels from time to time with the help of public and private agencies. Need of the Study Senior secondary education level is not a compulsory education like primary and elementary education level; therefore, it is important to see the spatial distribution of the percentage of Senior secondary education level attained population in Haryana. It is important to know the proportion of the population which recognised the need, importance and value of Senior secondary education level. They could understand that Senior Secondary educational attainment would put them in the category of higher order human capital. It would help them in getting higher order jobs with better income packages than secondary education level as it would be essential qualification for those job opportunities. It would also affect their performance during career. Hence, despite being optional, they attained Senior secondary educational certificate.
Asha A. Bhende and Tara Kanetkar write: literacy and level of educational attainment are important indicators of social development. They affect demographic behaviour concerning marriage, fertility, mortality, migration as well as participation in labour force. In a number of researches, a clear-cut negative relationship has been established between the educational level of women and their fertility. But, at the same time, positive relationship has been found between the age of marriage and level of educational attainment. Jayshree (2003) analysed the implications of female education and rights in her article that woman with higher education, prestigious occupation and high income have higher life expectancy. There is a common feeling that elderly women of the coming decades will be quite educated, more literate, exposed to outer world, have urban experiences, financially independent, economically sound etc. Therefore, their higher longevity will not cause problems even if they become widows.
It is pure illusion that woman folk who have all the above features belong to middle class and adopt small family norms as a result they have few adult children.
Hence, in old age, they are left alone by their limited care takers. They may not face acute financial problems but they do have to suffer from loneliness, frustration, helplessness, emotional stability and insecurity along with other common aging elements and disability.
The relationship between level of education attained and sector of employment is diverse and it has changed over time. Having attainment of Senior Secondary Education has become increasingly important in the trade sector and to lesser extent in services. In sectors where important proportion of employed women are concentrated, having Senior Secondary education and above seems to play an increasingly important role in ensuring access to these employment opportunities.

Research Questions
How percentage wise district-wise Senior secondary education attained population is spatially distributed in Haryana? How percentage wise district-wise Senior secondary education attained male and female population is distributed across the state?

Data Base
The study is based on district and state level Secondary data -Registrar General of India, Census of India.

Methodology
Both quantitative and qualitative methods of social science research have been used for this study.
GIS technology has been used to prepare choropleth maps showing percentagewise data for Senior secondary education attained population in the agegroup of 18-24 years for total, male and female population of Haryana for spatial analysis.

Analysis for Inter-District variations among Senior Secondary Education Attained
In Census 2011 data, Haryana had shown average 27.1 percent total population, 29.3 percent male population and 24.6 percent female population as Senior Secondary Education attained population in 18-24 years age-group. But district wise, it was unevenly distributed across the state.
There was wide range of variation from lowest 4.5 percent educational attainment among female population in Mewat (Nuh) district to highest 37.4 percent among male population of Mahendergarh district at Senior Secondary Education level in Haryana. These variations were found in male female population separately as well in 18 to 24 years of age-group. In all the districts, females had less than 31.3 percent Senior Secondary Education attained population. Only 7 districts out of 21 total districts of Haryana in 2011; namely Bhiwani, Mahendergarh, Rewari, Jhajjar, Gurgaon, Rohtak, and Sonipat had more than Haryana state average 27.1 percent Senior Secondary Education attained female population. Eight districts namely, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Yammunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Palwal and Mewat(Nuh) had less than the State Female Senior Secondary Education attained population; i.e.24.6 percent.

Significance and importance of Study
The study is a micro level study therefore, it could be used for making comparison with other areas, states of the country. Apart from this, present study will be a study identifying pockets of lower and higher educational attainment among both the gender and overall. 2011 Census Data has been processed and analyzed to find out Senior Secondary education attained persons in the age-group of 18-24 years which is a young age-group. This group looks for jobs. Government also keeps in mind proportion of different levels educationally attained. Therefore, it could be used for planning and management purposes.

Limitation of study:
Only census 2011, district wise, male female wise, age -group data was available therefore this Secondary Data is used as data base.