MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. SHASHI THAROOR)
(a): As per the Statistics of School Education brought out by the Ministry of Human
Resource Development, the State-wise and the gender-wise details of enrolment in primary,
upper primary and secondary schools, during the latest three years 2008-09(Provisional),
2009-10(Provisional) and 2010-11(Provisional) are at Annex 1, 2 & 3 respectively.
(b): The Government has been making consistent progress in meeting the goal of Universal
Elementary Education through the implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
Under the SSA, several interventions to promote education of girls are undertaken which
include opening of schools in the neighborhood to make access easier for girls, the
appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, free textbooks, free
uniforms, separate toilet for girls, early childhood care and education centres in/
near schools in convergence with ICDS programmes etc., teachers’ sensitization
programmes to promote girls participation and gender-sensitive teaching-learning
materials including textbooks and intensive community mobilization efforts to
promote girls education. In addition, in educationally backward blocks with female
literacy rates below the national average, the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya
(KGBV) Scheme of residential upper primary schools for girls and the National Programme
for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) for the intensification of community
mobilization and cluster based intervention have been undertaken for addressing the
issues of girls education. A scheme for the construction & running of girls’ hostel
in secondary & higher secondary schools is also being implemented since 2009-10 in
educationally backward blocks in the country to improve access and retention of the
girl child.
(c) : A study done by independent agencies on assessing the attendance levels of
children in elementary schools was conducted in 2009 which showed that the attendance
rates of girls at the primary level were 70.6% against an overall average of 68.5%
and 78.7% at the upper primary levels against the overall average of 75.7%. To conduct
the study, a sample of 20 States was selected. Number of primary and upper primary
schools were selected from the rural and Urban areas of the different districts of
these States on a sample basis.
(d): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, which became
operational with effect from 1st April, 2010, provides that every child in the 6 to 14
age-group shall have a right to free and compulsory education till the completion of
elementary education. The SSA Framework of Implementation has been revised to correspond
with the provisions of the RTE Act 2009 and the SSA is being implemented in accordance
with the norms and standards of the RTE Act to enhance the enrolment. The Mid Day Meal
Scheme is also being implemented with a view to enhance enrolment and retention of
children in school. Further, the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan which has been
launched for universal access to secondary education, aims at removing gender and socio-
economic disparities in access to education.
