(a) whether full time formal education is still a distant dream for many children,
especially working children in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise including Andhra Pradesh during the last
three years and the reasons therefor; and
(c) the steps being taken by the Government to avoid such situation?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE)
(a) to (c): The Government is implementing National Child Labour Project (NCLP) for rehabilitation
of children withdrawn from work. Under the Project, children withdrawn from work are enrolled in
the special schools, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, nutrition,
stipend, health care, etc. before mainstreaming into formal education system. The Right of Children
to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which provides for Free and Compulsory Education
in a neighbouring school as per policy laid down by State Governments, is under implementation in
all the States/UTs. The RTE Act mandates that every child must be in school; this pre-supposes
elimination of child labour. As per national sample survey conducted in 2005 & 2009 through
Social & Rural Research Instituted (SRI), a unit of International Marketing Research Bureau
(IMRB) the number of Out of School Children in the country has reduced from 1.34 crore in
2005 to 81.5 lakhs in 2009. According to the survey in Andhra Pradesh, the number of out
of school children has reduced from 5,42,664 in 2005 to 1,72,354 in 2009.