Lok Sabha Question No. 4627 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-22
Subject: Report of Right to Education Forum
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Devji Mansingram Patel, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4627 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  JULY 2019

## Report of Right to Education Forum

## †4627. SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL: SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:

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

- (a) whether as per report of the Right to Education Forum, all the provisions of Right to Education Act  has  been  implemented in  only  9.08  per  cent  schools,  10 per  cent  schools  have  only  one teacher, in half of the schools there is no arrangement of safe drinking water and separate toilets for girls and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government is preparing any action plan in this regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether 2 lakh Government schools have been closed due to insufficient number of students during  the last few years after the enactment of Right to Education Act;
- (d) if so, whether the Government is seeking ways to privatize the Government school system and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the concrete steps taken by the Government to fully implement the Right to Education Act?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) and (b) The  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009  in  its Schedule lays down norms for Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) for both primary and upper primary schools. At primary level, the PTR norm is 30:1 and at the upper primary level it is 35:1. As per the Unified District  Information  System  For  Education  (UDISE) 2016-17, the PTR at  national  level  for  primary schools is 23:1 and upper primary schools is 24:1, which is better than the prescribed norms. Further, as per UDISE 2017-18 (Provisional), 7.92 % Government elementary schools are having single teacher.

As per UDISE 2017-18 (Provisional), 98.74% Government elementary schools have the facility of boys' toilet, 95.54% Government schools have the facility of girls' toilet and 97.18% Government schools have the facility  of drinking  water.  Under  erstwhile  SSA  till  2017-18  and  Samagra  Shiksha effective from 2018-19, construction of 3.99 lakh boys' toilets, 5.22 lakh separate girls' toilets and 2.41 lakh drinking water facilities have been sanctioned for elementary schools to States and UTs.  Out of which, States and UTs have reported completion of construction of 3.83 lakh boys' toilets, 5.14 lakh separate girls' toilets and 2.34 lakh drinking water facilities till 31.03.2019.

(c) and (d) No, Sir. There were 10,48,046  Government elementary schools in 2009-10, which has increased to 10,63,963 in 2017-18 as per UDISE 2017-18 (Provisional).

(e) Education is in the concurrent list of the constitution and majority of the schools come under the jurisdiction of respective States and UTs, which are the appropriate Governments under Section 2(a) of the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009.  The  appropriate Governments have the responsibility and mandate to provide school infrastructure including drinking water facility  and toilets in  schools and ensuring  availability of teachers  in all schools in accordance with  the  norms  prescribed  in  the  Schedule  to  the  RTE  Act,  2009  and  respective  State  RTE  Rules. States and UTs have been advised to ensure all the schools in their jurisdiction meet the RTE norms.

The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  has  launched  an  Integrated  Scheme  for School  Education  -  Samagra  Shiksha,  from  2018-19,  which  subsumes  the  three  erstwhile  Centrally Sponsored  Schemes  of  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA),  Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education  (TE).  The  new  integrated  scheme  envisages  school  education  as  a continuum  from  Pre-school  to  Senior  Secondary  level  and  aims  to  ensure  inclusive  and  equitable quality education, all levels of schoolings. The main objectives of the scheme are provision of quality education  and  enhancing  learning  outcomes  of  students,  bridging  social  and  gender  gaps  in  school education, ensuring minimum standards in schooling provisions, support States in the implementation of RTE Act, 2009 and strengthening of teacher education institutions. The major features of Samagra Shiksha are:

- (i) Universalizing access to quality school education by expansion of schooling facilities in the uncovered areas through up-gradation of schools up-to senior secondary level.
- (ii) Ensuring  availability  of  adequate  infrastructure  to  ensure  that  schools  conform  to  the prescribed norms.
- (iii) Annual Grant of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000/per school for strengthening of Libraries.
- (iv) Annual Composite school grant of Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 to be allocated on the basis of school enrolment, out of which at least 10% is required to be spent on activities related to Swachhata Action Plan.
- (v) Annual  Grant  for  sports  equipments  at  the  cost  of  Rs.  5000  for  Primary  Schools, Rs. 10,000 for upper primary schools and up to Rs. 25,000 for secondary and senior secondary schools.
- (vi) Allocation  for  children  with  Special  Needs  (CWSN)  of  Rs.  3,500  per  child  per  annum including a stipend of Rs. 200 per month for CWSN girls to be provided from Classes I to XII.
- (vii) Allocation for uniforms at the rate of Rs. 600 per child per annum, at elementary level.
- (viii) Allocation for textbooks at the rate of Rs. 250/400 per child per annum, at elementary level.
- (ix) Upgradation of Kasturba  Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs)  from  Class 6-8 to Class 6-12.
- (x) Strengthening Teacher Education Institutions like SCERTs  and  DIETs  to improve the quality of teachers.
- (xi) Enhanced  use  of digital technology in education through smart classrooms,  digital boards and DTH channels.
- (xii) Support States & UTs for implementation of provisions of RTE  Act, including reimbursement under Section 12(1)(c) of the Act.
- (xiii) Setting up of residential schools and hostels for difficult areas and for children in difficult circumstances.
- (xiv) The  scheme  also  provides  for  annual  maintenance and  repair  of  existing school building, toilets and other facilities to upkeep the infrastructure in good condition.

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