Question

What is the difference between the net enrollment rate and the gross enrollment rate (please do not copy the definition)? If the gross enrollment rate is higher than the net enrollment rate, what does the difference between the two represent?

Answer 1

It is key to understand what both the metrics mean.

The net entrollment rate is the ratio of the students in the eligible age group enrolled in a program to the total number of students eligible for the program in the age group.

Consider there are 40 students in the age group 8-15 that are eligible for primary education,but only 25 students attend primary education classes. In that case the net enrollment value is = 25/40=0.625

When we talk about the Gross Enrollment Ratio, it is the ratio of all enrolled students irrespective of their age(due to failures,early starters,failures) to the number of all eligible students.

Taking the above example: The total number of eligible students for primary eeducation is 40, but we realise that the number of students enrolled in the primary education system 50.

Gross Enrollment Ratio=50/40=1.25

If the gross enrollment rate is higher than the net enrollment rate,we realise that the difference betwen the two is able to makes us realise the ratio of people who are enrolled in the system who are either over-age or under-aged, this acts as an indicator of the quality of education system as well as take into account,whether associated schemes like free meals are prompting under aged enrollment.