Lok Sabha Question No. 4324 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-07
Subject: Out of School Children
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, Shrirang Appa Barne, KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL, DHARMENDRA YADAV

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4324 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.01.2019

## Out of School Children

## 4324.   DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI RAJU SHETTY: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL: SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that freshly released Census 2011 data has revealed that 8.4 crore children don't go to school at all and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the provisions of Right to Education Act (RTE) describes the modalities of the importance  of  free  and  compulsory  education  for  children  between  6  and  14  in  the country  to  make  education  a  fundamental  right  of  every  child  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (c) whether it is  fact  that  about  20  per  cent  children  of  the  age  group  covered  under  the Right to Education Act;
- (d) if so, the response of the Government thereon;
- (e) whether it is fact that children don't go to school because they are forced to work; and
- (f) if  so,  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government to  ensure that the children of the above age group covered under the Right to Education Act should go to the school?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

- (a) 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.
- (b) The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act has made provisions towards modalities of its implementation. This includes inter- alia, Opening of schools in the neighbourhood,  provision  of  Special  Training  for  out  of  school  children,  Prohibiting capitation fees and screening procedures for admission or denial of admission etc.

The  RTE  Act,  has  also  mandated  that  no  school  shall  be  established  or  recognised unless it fulfils the norms and  standards specified in the schedule of the act. The schedule of the act provides norms and standards for Norms of Teachers (Pupil Teacher Ratio), Norms of School Building, Minimum number of working days and instruction hours in an academic year etc.

The Act also mandates National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to  examine  and  review  the  safeguards  for  rights  provided  under  this  act  and  recommend measures for their effective implementation.

(c) to (f) The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  (MHRD)  commissioned  an independent survey in 2014 through Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) to estimate out of school children across the country. According to estimate of the survey, in the age group of 6-13 years in the country, an estimated 60.64 lakh were out of school.

The  Independent  Survey  also  captured  the  reasons  for  the  out  of  school  children. Poverty/Economic reason has been reported by 23.76% respondents. 'Child not interested in studies'  has  been  reported  as  a  reason  for  18.38%  out  of  school  children.  A  gender  wise disaggregation of the reason reveals that a higher proportion of the  girls are out of school because of the reason 'needed to help in domestic work or needed to take care of siblings' as compared to boys. A marginally higher proportion of boys are also out of school than girls for the reason 'child to supplement household income'. 'Education not considered necessary by  the  head  of  the  household'  is  also  reported  by  more  households  with  an  out  of  school female child (6.27%) as compared to households with an out of school male child (2.39%).

Government of India in partnership with the State and UT Governments have taken a range  of  initiatives  to  ensure  that  all  children  are  enrolled  in  schools  and  complete  their elementary  education.  Under  the  erstwhile  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  Sarva  Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and integrated scheme for school education-Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19 which has subsumed the three erstwhile Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE), financial assistance is provided  to  States  and  UTs  for  undertaking  various  activities  to  reduce  number  of  out  of school  children  including  opening  of  new  schools,  construction  of  schools  &  additional classrooms,  opening  and  upgradation  of    Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas  (KGBV), setting up of  residential   schools/hostels,  provision of  transportation/escort  facilities,  free uniforms,  free  text  books and undertaking enrolment  & retention  drives. Further, special training  for  age  appropriate  admission  of  out  of  school  children  and  residential  as  well  as non-residential  training  for  older  children,  Seasonal  hostels  /  residential  camps,  Special Training Centres at worksites are also supported to bring out of school children to the formal schooling  system.  Also,  mid  day  meal  is  provided  to  students  at  the  elementary  level  of education.  Further, under the student oriented component for the children with special needs, financial  assistance  is  provided  for  identification  and  assessment  of  children  with  special needs,  aids  and  appliances,  braille  kits  and  books,  appropriate  teaching  learning  material, stipend to girls students with disability, transport and escort facility etc.

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