Lok Sabha Question No. 4969 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-26
Subject: Out of School
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, DHARMENDRA YADAV, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, Shrirang Appa Barne, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, ANANDRAO  ADSUL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4969 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  MARCH, 2018

## Out of School

4969.  DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE: SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether freshly released Census 2011 data has revealed that 8.4 crore children do not go to school at all and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the number of out-of school children put out by various official sources in the country show wide variations and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether about 20 percent children of the age group covered under the Right to Education Act and if so, the response of the Government thereon;
- (d) whether the children do not go to school because they are forced to work; and
- (e) if so, the steps taken by the Government to ensure that children of the age group covered under the Right to Education Act should go to school?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a) & (b):  Census 2011 has reported that 8.4 crore children do not go to school in the age group of 5  -  17  years.  However,  under  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE) Act,  2009  the mandated  age  group  for  free  and  compulsory  elementary  education  in  a neighbourhood school is 6-14 years. According to Census 2011, the number of children who do not attend schools (including never attended and attended before) in the age group of 6-13 years are 3.81 crore. Census 2011 has shown a marked decline in the number of out of school children in this age group from 5.8 crore in 2001 to 3.8 crore in 2011, a 35% decline over a period of ten years.

As  per  an  independent  survey  commissioned  in  2014  by  the  Ministry  of  Human  Resource Development (MHRD), 60.64 lakh children were estimated to be out of school in the age group of 6-13 years. The number of out of school children has declined from 134.59 lakh in 2005 to 60.64 lakh in 2014 in the same age group.

The  differences  in  the  number  and  proportion  of  out-of-school  children  mainly  arise  from differences  in  the  definitions  used  by  different  data  sources,  inter-state  variations  in  schooling systems, timing of survey and differences in data collection and estimation processes (c):  The  RTE  Act  covers all  children  in   6-14  age  group, 19.67  crore  children  were  enrolled  at elementary level as per Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), 2015-16.

(d)  to(e): As  per  an  independent  survey  commissioned  in  2014  by  the  Ministry  of  Human Resource Development (MHRD), poverty,need to work for supplementing house-hold income etc. were  some  of  the  reasons  for  children  not  attending  the  school.  In  order  to  address  these issues,  Universalization of elementary education through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), which is the  designated  scheme  for  supporting  implementation  of  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009  is  implemented  in  partnership  with  states  and  UTs. Section 4 of the RTE Act, 2009 provides for special training for age appropriate admission of out of school children. Those children who have missed out certain academic years either for having never  enrolled  to  school  or  having  dropped  out  of  school,  have  a  right  to  Special  Training  in residential and non residential mode, subsequently to be mainstreamed in formal schools in age appropriate  class. SSA  has  been  successful  in  achieving  considerable  progress  in  its  goal  of universal  access  and  retention  with  99.36%  habitations  having  schools  at  primary  and  98.20% habitations having schools at upper primary level. Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, which are residential  schools  for  girls  at  upper  primary  level,  have  also  been  sanctioned  to  the  States  for improving  access  to  marginalised  girls  particularly  out  of  school,  either  dropped  out  or  never enrolled.

Under SSA, provisions have also been made for residential schools/hostels and transportation/escort facility for children living in sparsely populated areas, children living in areas where schools cannot be opened due to unavailability of land and children in need of care and protection. Special training is also provided to all such children who are school dropouts and long absentees and they are enrolled in 'back to school' camps.

Additionally,  other  strategies  adopted  under  SSA  such  as  strengthening  school  infrastructure, improving  pupil-teacher  ratios,  providing  incentives  like  free  textbooks,  uniforms  for  eligible category  of  children  and  mid-day  meal  in  schools  have  proved  to  be  useful  in  increasing  the enrolment of children in elementary schools.