Inequalities in the status of primary education in Assam, India

Educational inequalities around the world have received a lot of attention at the research level with different lines of research emphasizing the different factors. The Education For All (EFA) is a worldwide novel mission of UNESCO which is centered around six goals. The EFA Development Index (EDI), a composite of relevant indicators, provides one way of doing so at least for the four most easily quantifiable EFA goals. The present study is an attempt to examine three components of Education For All Development Index, namely Universal Primary Education (UPE), Quality of Education and Gender Parity and Equality and finally to assess the status of Primary Education in the districts of Assam. The EDI of the different districts are far below than the countries average which may be related to literacy status and per capita gross domestic product of the districts. The situation demands a systematic approach for attaining the goal of Universal Primary Education in the socio-economically backward state like Assam.