Internal Efficiency of Primary Education in Phase-I DPEP Districts (International Seminar on Researchers in School Effectiveness at Primary Stage July 14-16, 1999)

Abstract

The main purpose of studying internal efficiency is to find out the extent of wastage taking place in primary education because of some children dropping out from school prematurely (that is, without completing the full cycle of primary education) or repeating grades (that is, spending more than one year in the same grade). In a system in which all the children admitted in grade I continue their education till the end of the primary cycle without dropping out or repeating any grade, there is absolutely no wastage. Such a system can be regarded as perfect from the point of view of internal efficiency. However, when some children either repeat grades or drop out, internal efficiency of the system is adversely affected. The measure of internal efficiency takes into account the number of pupil-years wasted due to both dropping out and grade repetition and compares the same with the ideal situation when there is no such wastage.