Lok Sabha Question No. 235 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-14
Subject: Education for Children of Labourers
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: HEMANT TUKARAM GODSE

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 235 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 TH  MARCH, 2016

## Education for Children of Labourers

## *235. SHRI GODSE HEMANT TUKARAM

Will  the  Minister  of  HUMAN  RESOURCE  DEVELOPMENT मानव संसाधन �वकास मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that a large number of children do not attend school due to their engagement in family labour;
- (b) if so, the number of children in the country who are not attending schools due to the said reason, State/UT-wise;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  is  considering  any  plan  to  bring  such  children  to  schools  by allowing them to continue part time in family labour or by compensating their families; and
- (d) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken in this regard?

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## ANSWER (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *235, ASKED BY SHRI GODSE HEMANT TUKARAM, TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2016 REGARDING 'EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN OF LABOURERS'

(a)  &  (b):  Data  regarding  children  not  attending  schools  due  to  their  engagement  in  family labour is  not  maintained  in  the  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development.  The  Ministry  of Labour & Employment has also reported that they do not maintain such data.

(c) & (d): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which became operative with effect from 1 st April, 2010, mandates that all children in the age group of 6-14 years shall be in schools for completing elementary education. Section 4 of the RTE Act provides for special training for age appropriate admission of out of school children. Those children who have missed out certain academic years either because they were never enrolled in  school  or    dropped  out  of  school,  have  a  right  to  Special  Training  in  residential  and  non residential mode, subsequently to be mainstreamed in formal schools in age appropriate class.

The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 prohibits the employment of children below 14 years of age in 18 occupations and 65 processes and regulates the working condition of children in employment where they are not prohibited.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP)  Scheme  since  1988  to  rehabilitate  working  children  in  12  child  labour  endemic districts of the country. Children rescued/withdrawn from work in the age group of 9-14 years are enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided bridge education, vocational  training,  mid-day  meal,  stipend,  health  care  etc.  before  being  mainstreamed  into formal  education  system.  Children  in  the  age  group  of  5-8  years  are  directly  linked  to  the formal education system through a close coordination with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Presently, the Scheme is being implemented in 270 Districts of 21 States in the country and as per  reports  received  from  the  Project  Societies,  about  3230  special  training  centres  are  in operation with an enrolment of approximately 1.48 lakh children. Since inception more than 11.40 lakhs children have been mainstreamed into the formal education system.

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