Question : Out of School Children

(a) whether out of 60 lakh children who are out of school in the country, nearly 50 percent are from Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes while 36 percent are from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as per latest survey by her Ministry;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) whether majority of the out of school children are from rural areas and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether this report is not contradictory to UNESCOs Report of 2015 which states that India has made impressive progress in primary education;

(e) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and

(f) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to provide education to all under the Right to Education Act?

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

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. As per a survey commissioned by the Ministry of Human Resource Development through an independent agency, the number of out of school children (OoSC) in the age group of 6-13 years, is 60.64 lakhs out of which 19.66 lakh (32.42%) children belong to Scheduled Caste, 10.07 lakh (16.61%) belong to Scheduled Tribe and 22.06 lakh (36.38%) belong to backward class community.
As per the survey findings, the reasons for not attending the schools include, inter-alia, poverty/economic reasons, child not interested in studies, girl children needed to help in domestic work or needed to take care of siblings as compared to boys, male child to supplement household income, education not being considered necessary by the head of the household.

(c) As per the survey, there are 46,95,518 OoSC from rural areas which constitute 77.43% of the total number of OoSC.



(d) & (e): No, Madam. Report of the survey is not contradictory to UNESCO Report of 2015, which points out that India has made remarkable strides towards ensuring education for all.
The surveys commissioned by the MHRD indicate consistent decline in the number of OoSC. It has declined from 134.59 lakh in 2005 to 60.64 lakh OoSC in 2014 in the same age group.

(f): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 provisions for free and compulsory education to children between the age group of 6-14 years. The Central Government’s programme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan provides assistance to State Governments/UTs to ensure quality elementary education for all children. Universal enrolment is the first goal of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), and hence all efforts are being made to bring all children in schools. SSA has provided 2.04 lakh primary and 1.59 lakh upper primary schools for ensuring universal provisioning of schooling facilities. Preference for opening of school is given to tribal areas, and areas with high concentration of SC, ST and minority population. In addition, 3609 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, which are residential schools for girls at upper primary level, have also been sanctioned to the States for improving access to marginalised girls particularly out of school, either drop out or never enrolled.
Under the SSA, provisions have also been made for residential schools/ hostels and transportation/ escort facility for children living in sparsely populated areas, children living in areas where schools cannot be opened due to unavailability of land and children in need of care and protection. Special training is also provided to all such children who are school dropouts and long absentees and they are enrolled in back to school camps which may be residential and non residential.
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