Lok Sabha Question No. 3521 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-21
Subject: Literacy Data
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: YERRAM VENKATA SUBBAREDDY, SRINIVAS KESINENI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3521 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2015

## Literacy Data

## 3521.   SHRI Y.V. SUBBA REDDY: SHRI KESINENI NANI:

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

(a)  the  reaction  of  the  Government  on  the  NSS  survey  conducted  between  January-July  2014 which revealed that 11% of rural and 6% of urban people under 30 never went to schools and 33% of the same group in rural and 38% in urban areas dropped from schools;

(b) the details of the other findings of the said survey;

(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to improve the situation; and

(d) whether there is a tool to qualitatively measure the learning outcomes of the students in the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)  &  (b)  As  per  NSS  71 st round  report  January-June  2014,  the  proportion  of  never  enrolled persons  (aged  5  to  29  years)  in  rural  and  urban  areas  respectively  was  10.9%  and  5.6% respectively. This is an improvement from the corresponding figures of 15.8% and 8.0% pertaining to the year 2007-08. Similarly, as per the survey, the proportion of persons of age 5-29 dropping out  or  discontinuing  education  in  rural  and  urban  areas  was  32.6%  and  38.3%  respectively  as compared to the figures of 32.7% and 39.0% pertaining to 2007-08. The survey also found that the proportion of never enrolled persons fell  from 16 % in poorest quintile class to 6 % in richest quintile class in  rural India. In urban India too the percentage dropped from 12 per cent to 1 per cent  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  quintile  classes  of  Usual  Monthly  Per  Capita  Consumer Expenditure (UMPCE).

(c)  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA)  is  one  of  India's  important  social  sector  programmes  for universalisation of elementary education. SSA was launched in 2000-2001 with its goal to include universal  access  and  retention,  bridging  of  gender  and  social  category  gaps  in  elementary education,  and  achieving  significant  enhancement in  learning levels of children. SSA is now the primary vehicle for implementing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE).

SSA  programmes  provide  for  a  multi-pronged  approach  to  check  drop  out  amongst children  inter-alia  through  enhancing  access  to  primary,  upper  primary,  strengthening  school infrastructure  like  school  building,  additional  classrooms,  toilets,  drinking  water  facilities,  etc. improving  teacher-pupil  ratio,  strategies  for  gender  positive  textbooks,  gender  sensitization  of teachers  and  educational  administrators.  The  mid-day  meal  programme  is  also  implemented  in elementary schools, to help retain children in schools.

Since, the inception of SSA in 2000-01 till 30.9.2015, opening of 3.64 lakh new elementary schools,  construction  of  3.11  lakh  school  buildings,  and  18.61  lakh  additional  classrooms,  2.38 lakh  drinking  water  facilities,  10.14  lakh  school  toilets,  19.48  lakh  teacher  posts,  8.53  crore (Annual) supply of free textbooks, have been sanctioned to States and UTs. Two sets of uniforms for all girls, and children belonging to SC/ST/BPL families in Government schools are provided under SSA scheme.  As per the provisions of  RTE Act,  every child in the age group of 6 to 14 is expected to be in school.  In 2013-14, the gross enrollment ratio in the elementary stage has been 96.5%,.  The  number  of  out  of  school  children  has  considerably  reduced  and  is  estimated  to  be 60.64 lakh during 2014, as per independent survey commissioned by the Ministry.

The Rashtriya Madyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Scheme was launched with one of the objectives to reduce drop out of students at secondary stage. The scheme provides for improving access by approving new secondary school and by provisioning for additional class rooms, science laboratory, library, computer room, art/craft/culture room, toilets, drinking water facilities etc. in new  secondary  schools  and  existing  secondary  schools,  to  reduce  drop  out.  Interventions  like survey and identification of out of school children, awareness programme, bridge courses, special teaching  for  learning  enhancement  etc.  have  also  been  supported  under  RMSA  to  address  issue relating to dropout.

Under RMSA till date 11,599 new secondary schools and 52715 additional Class Rooms, 25948 Science Lab, 21864 Computer Room, 27428 Library, 66441 Toilet Blocks, 12327  drinking water  etc.  facilities  have  been  sanctioned.  In  addition,  115554  teacher  posts  have  also  been approved.

(d)  The  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  conducts  National Achievement Survey (NAS) to assess learning achievement of children for classes III, V & VIII in Government and Government-Aided Schools across all States. Three rounds of National Learners' Achievement  Surveys  have  been  completed  by  the  NCERT.  NAS  is  a  sample  based survey, designed to check the health of the educational system and provide information about the learning achievement of students. In this survey, standardized tests and questionnaires (School, Pupil and Teacher)  are  used  to  get  learning  achievement  data  and  background  information.  The  survey for  Class  III  students  assesses  students  learning  levels  in  Language  and  Maths;  class  V  for Language, Maths and EVS; class VIII for Language, Maths, Science and Social Science. These test forms are common for the States and these are translated in different languages for different States.

The National  Achievement Survey at secondary classes (Class X) is  a  curriculum based survey  in  which  achievement  of  students  in  5  curricular  areas  namely  English,  Mathematics, Science,  Social  Science  and  one  Modern  Indian  Language  (MIL)  is  assessed  on  the  contents prescribed  in  these  subject  areas.  It  is  not  based  on  learning  outcomes  for  secondary  classes  as these  are  yet  to  be  identified  for  secondary  classes.      The  National  Achievement  Survey  is conducted throughout the country on a sample basis.