EDUCATION IN THE FIFTH PLAN 85 measures are being planned to create jobs for the educated unemployed. Caught in this vicious circle, the ruling classes find it difficult to maintain a facade of economic stability. The high hopes raised among ajection of the people by the ruling party'Before the 1971 elections are in the process of dying down. Confronted with such a situation certain shorte-term choices are being attempted without in any way trying to restore the economic imbalances. To a great extent the Plan proposal on education reveals such a choice-pattern. ^ * n y1 The corresponding figures for secondary education by all estimates are much less encouraging. While the total enrolment in the middle schools was 3.1 million in 1950-51, that in the secondary schools was only 1.22 million^ ^ ^State expenditure on education was 1.2jger cent of national income (at current prices) in 1950-51, 1.9 per cent in 1955-56, 2.4 per cent in 1960-j)],jyLper cenfeadTin 1965-66 and Ig^g.^pit^^b^ ^^^^^s^^^^^ (But the ^totHnumber d^OTents durmg the period 1?50-51 to 1968-69 has3nc^eased_more than tbree,J;imes. Within this again, regional and other^, economic disparities have continued all through in the field of education also. Drop-out rates are higher in the poorer states and lower in the economically advanced ones. Besides, the rate is highest in areas inhabited by tribals and Harijans. Educational system and policy have been characterised by sectoral imbalances, that is, the imbalance between primary, secondary and higher education. These imbalances are the off-shoots of the general bankruptcy of government's political and socio-economic policy. Universal primary education has been promised all along, the target date now being postponed to 1975-76 for primary education and 1980-81 for middle school education (up to class VIII, for age-group 11-14). Allocation of Plan expenditure to different sectors has been made with greater support to secondary education, and greatest support to university education. In the first Plan primary education was allotted 56 per cent of total expenditure, secondary education 13 per cent and university education 9 per cent. Population-wise, primary education (including middle schools) constituted more than 95 per cent of the total, secondary