Lok Sabha Question No. 3130 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Drop Out Slum Children during Pandemic
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Sisir Kumar Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO3130

ANSWERED ON- 20/03/2023

## DROP OUT SLUM CHILDREN DURING PANDEMIC

## 3130. SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that as many as 72 per cent of slum children dropped out of school during pandemic with low levels of literacy and numeracy;
- (b) whether it is true that in 2021-22 enrolment in the school's pre-primary sections fell by 11.5 lakh slum students with an enrolment of 94.95 lakh students in pre-primary classes, signifying a 10 percent decline from the 1.06 crore children during 2020-2021 therefor; and
- (c) if so, the plan of the Government to take back the students in the mainstream?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

(SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a)  to  (c):  'Unified  District  Information  System  For  Education  Plus'  (UDISE+)  under  the Ministry  of  Education,  collects  the  school  details  about  factors  related  to  a  school  and  its resources.  UDISE+  has  a  mandate  of  collecting  information  from  all  recognized  and unrecognized schools imparting formal education from Pre-primary to XII. Data pertaining to slum children dropped out of school is not maintained centrally. As per UDISE+, the Overall Annual Average Dropout Rate is as under:

| Year    |   Primary level |   Upper Primary level |
|---------|-----------------|-----------------------|
| 2021-22 |            1.46 |                     3 |

As per UDISE & UDISE+, the enrollment of students in Government and Government aided schools in the pre-primary section during the year 2020-21 and 2021-22 is 2478916 and 2741762, respectively.

Education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of the schools come under the purview of the respective State and UT Government.

The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  with  effect  from  2018-19  has launched an Integrated Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education- Samagra Shiksha. The scheme has now been aligned with the recommendations of NEP 2020 to ensure that all children  have  access  to  quality  education  with  an  equitable  and  inclusive  classroom environment which should take care of their diverse background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in the learning process. Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs for undertaking various activities for universalisation of school education, including opening/strengthening of new  schools  upto  senior  secondary  level,  construction  of  school  buildings  &  additional classrooms,  setting  up,  up-gradation  and  running  of  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas, setting up of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, free uniforms, free text books, transport allowance 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, transport/ escort facility are also supported to bring out of school children to the formal schooling system. 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 and stipend to girl students with disability etc. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, mandates the appropriate Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age 6 to 14 years in a neighbourhood school. Further,  financial  assistance  upto  Rs.  2000  per  annum  is  being  provided  for  Out  of School Children of age group of 16-19 years, belonging to socio economically disadvantaged groups, for completing their education through NIOS/SIOS, for accessing course materials and certification. Under 'Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman' (PM POSHAN) one hot cooked meal in Government and Government aided schools is provided to students at the elementary level of education, including Balvatika. Also,  Section  10  of  the  RTE  Act  states  that  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  parent  or guardian to admit or cause to be admitted his or her child or ward, as the case may be, for

elementary education in the neighbourhood school.

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