(a) whether school dropout in rural area and some urban areas are already high and it is suspected to increase after COVID when schools are open;
(b) if so, the details of the dropouts in schools of rural areas, State-wise;
(c) the details of the Government’s plan to prevent the dropouts in rural school in the country; and
(d) the Government’s plan to increase interest and confidence among poor students to attend school after COVID 19 when school reopen?
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ''NISHANK'')
(a) to (d): As per Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) 2018-19 (provisional), the State wise dropout rate is at Annexure.
Under Centrally Sponsored Scheme of SamagraShiksha, financial assistance is provided to the States and UTsfor various activities including in rural areas to reduce number of dropouts, which include opening/strengthening of new schools upto senior secondary level, construction of school buildings & additional classrooms, setting up, up-gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi BalikaVidyalayas, setting up of residential schools/hostels, free uniforms, free text books, transport allowance and undertaking enrolment drives, residential as well as non-residential trainings, Seasonal Hostels/ residential camps etc. Financial assistance is also provided for Inclusive Education of children with special needs, vocational education and ICT in schools. Also, Mid-Day-Meal is provided to students at the elementary level of education.
Further, in order to ensure that children have access to education with quality and equity, this Department has issued detailed guidelines on 7th January, 2021, on the steps to be taken by the States and UTs. The link of the guidelines ishttps://www.education.gov.in /sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/guidelines_oosc.pdf. The guidelines, among others include, student support on school reopening through preparation and running of School readiness modules/bridge course for initial period, identification of students across different grades based on their learning levels, relaxing detention norms to prevent drop out, reading with comprehension and numeracy skills by reading books beyond syllabus and creative writing and large-scale remedial programmes/Learning Enhancement Programmes.
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