Lok Sabha Question No. 3527 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-15
Subject: Pre-School Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Kirit Premjibhai Solanki

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3527 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.07.2019

## Pre-school Education

## 3527. DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI:

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

- a) the details of the number of Government pre-schools in the country, State/UT-wise;
- b) the details of the percentage of children enrolled in pre-school education prior to primary education, State/UT-wise;
- c) whether the Government has found any correlation between attending pre-school education and better learning outcomes at the primary education level; and
- d) if so, whether the Government is planning to include pre-school education within the ambit of the Right to Education Act and making Early Childhood Care and Education a justiciable right?

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

- (a) & (b):  State/UT-wise list of pre-primary sections in Government Schools with percentage of children enrolled in them is at Annexure.
- (c): Research and experience have repeatedly demonstrated that Early Childhood Development and Education not only increase the progress and achievement of children in primary schools and lay the foundation for future growth, learning and development, but also develop positive attitudes and the desire to learn. Therefore, it becomes imperative to provide quality pre-school experiences to children.
- (d)  Section 11 of the RTE Act, 2009 states that 'with a view to prepare  children above the age  of  three  years  for  elementary  education  and to  provide  early  childhood  care  and

education for all children until they complete the age of six years, the appropriate government may  make  necessary  arrangements  for  pre-school  education  for  such  children.' The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Human  Resource Development  has  implemented  Integrated  Scheme  for  School  Education  i.e.  Samagra Shiksha, effective from 2018-19. The Integrated Scheme for School Education envisages the 'school'  as  a  continuum  from  Pre-school,  primary,  upper  primary,  secondary  to  Senior Secondary  levels.  Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  an  amount  of  Rs.  17793.55  lakh  has  been approved for pre-school education.

The scheme supports the efforts of State/UT Governments in providing Pre-school education in schools. At pre-school level, support for co-location of Anganwadis in Primary Schools,  curriculum  development  in  convergence  with    Ministry  of    Women  and  Child Development and training of pre-school teachers and Anganwadi workers is provided.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3527 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.07.2019 ASKED BY DR. (PROF.) KIRIT P. SOLANKI REGARDING 'PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION'.

State/UT-wise list of pre-primary Sections in Government Schools with percentage of children enrolled for the year 2016-17

| S. No.   | State/UTs                | Pre-Primary Section attached in Govt. Schools (2016-17)   | Percentage of Grade I children having pre-school experience   |
|----------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | ANDAMAN &NICOBAR ISLANDS | 295                                                       | 61.08                                                         |
| 2        | ANDHRA PRADESH           | 0                                                         | 3.98                                                          |
| 3        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH        | 478                                                       | 15.78                                                         |
| 4        | ASSAM                    | 30669                                                     | 43.69                                                         |
| 5        | BIHAR                    | 1029                                                      | 6.72                                                          |
| 6        | CHANDIGARH               | 103                                                       | 58.5                                                          |
| 7        | CHHATTISGARH             | 506                                                       | 3.3                                                           |
| 8        | DADRA &NAGAR HAVELI      | 1                                                         | 1                                                             |
| 9        | DAMAN &DIU               | 10                                                        | 15.36                                                         |
| 10       | DELHI                    | 1379                                                      | 78.15                                                         |
| 11       | GOA                      | 56                                                        | 14.25                                                         |
| 12       | GUJARAT                  | 788                                                       | 2.28                                                          |
| 13       | HARYANA                  | 3307                                                      | 83.55                                                         |
| 14       | HIMACHAL PRADESH         | 272                                                       | 3.07                                                          |
| 15       | JAMMU &KASHMIR           | 11837                                                     | 18.73                                                         |
| 16       | JHARKHAND                | 607                                                       | 2.98                                                          |
| 17       | KARNATAKA                | 1879                                                      | 2.15                                                          |
| 18       | KERALA                   | 2805                                                      | 43.71                                                         |
| 19       | LAKSHADWEEP              | 1                                                         | 10.21                                                         |
| 20       | MADHYA PRADESH           | 3120                                                      | 3.93                                                          |
| 21       | MAHARASHTRA              | 2853                                                      | 7.33                                                          |
| 22       | MANIPUR                  | 606                                                       | 11.34                                                         |
| 23       | MEGHALAYA                | 4591                                                      | 50.07                                                         |
| 24       | MIZORAM                  | 369                                                       | 15.55                                                         |
| 25       | NAGALAND                 | 1756                                                      | 86.7                                                          |
| 26       | ODISHA                   | 2031                                                      | 1.15                                                          |
| 27       | PUDUCHERRY               | 294                                                       | 52.06                                                         |
| 28       | PUNJAB                   | 893                                                       | 10.33                                                         |
| 29       | RAJASTHAN                | 633                                                       | 5.19                                                          |
| 30       | SIKKIM                   | 672                                                       | NA                                                            |
| 31       | TAMIL NADU               | 1073                                                      | 22.14                                                         |
| 33       | TRIPURA                  |                                                           |                                                               |
|          |                          | 55                                                        | 6.28                                                          |
| 34       | UTTAR PRADESH            | 7303                                                      | 2.44                                                          |
| 35       | UTTARAKHAND              | 239                                                       | 7.29                                                          |
| 36       | WEST BENGAL              | 64378                                                     | 34.12                                                         |

Source UDISE 2016-17