Lok Sabha Question No. 3635 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-20
Subject: Closure of Schools
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Sumalatha Ambareesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3635 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2021

## Closure of Schools

## 3635.   SHRIMATI SUMALATHA AMBAREESH:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that disruption of education due to prolonged closure of schools across the globe is likely to have alarming effects on learning loss and it also poses threat to gender equality and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  there  is  a  need  to  take  corrective  steps  to  do justice as girls study time was constrained by increased household chores; and
- (c) if so, the response of the Government in this regard ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (c) The spread of COVID-19 pandemic has impacted school education. Schools in States and Union Territories were closed as a precautionary measure to protect the students from  Novel  COVID-19  (Corona)  virus.  This  has  interrupted  the  learning  of  students  from pre- school to grade 12.  Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are under the domain of respective State and UT Governments.

In order to mitigate the impact of closure of schools on school children including girls and  for  preventing  drop  outs,  lower  enrolments  and  loss  of  learning,  instructions  and guidelines have been issued by Ministry of Education to the States & UTs time to time for continuing  education  of  children  including  girls.  The  States  and  UTs  have  also  been suggested steps/actions such as identification of out of school children from age 6 to 18 years, enrolment drives  and  awareness  generation,  continued  education  for  Children  with  Special Needs (CwSN), student support while schools are closed including worksheets and text books supplied to residence of learners, home visits by teachers, community classes etc., to be taken during the school closure and when the schools re-open.

In addition, all States and UTs have been asked to issue necessary directions  to  the concerned authorities to  proactively track  girls  who are  not enrolled  in  schools  or  have dropped-out  of  school  without completing their  school education  and get  them  admitted in  age-appropriate  classes  in schools.

The Government of India launched SamagraShiksha-an Integrated Scheme for school education,  w.e.f.  2018-19,  as  an  overarching  programme  for  the  school  education  sector extending from pre-school to class XII. Bridging gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of the Samagra Shiksha. Under Samagra Shiksha, to reduce dropout rate and ensure greater participation of girls in education various interventions have been targeted which include opening of schools in the neighbourhood to make access easier for girls, free uniform and text-books to girls up to Class VIII,  additional teachers and residential quarters for teachers in remote/hilly areas,  appointment of additional teachers  including  women  teachers,  Stipend  to  CWSN  girls  from  class  I  to  Class  XII  , separate  toilets  for  girls,  teachers'  sensitization  programmes  to  promote  girls  participation, gender-sensitive teaching-learning materials including text books etc.

Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  Special    state    specific    projects  for  varied  interventions under    equity  are  emphasized  for  enhancing    access,    retention    and    quality  for  girls    by promoting  enrolment  drives,  retention and motivation camps, gender sensitization modules etc.  Such  projects  include  Life  Skills,  Awareness  programmes,  Incinerators,  Sanitary  Pad Vending Machines etc.  To reduce  gender gaps at  all  levels  of  school  education,  there  is  a provision of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) under Samagra Shiksha. KGBVs are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as  SC,  ST,  OBC,  Minority  and  Below  Poverty  Line  (BPL).  A  total  of  5615  KGBVs  have been sanctioned in the country with the enrolment of 6.50 lakh girls.

Further, in Kendriya Vidyalayas, girls have been exempted from paying tuition fees from class I to XII and education is free for girls in classes from VI to XII who happen to be the only child of their parents.

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