Getting dropouts back to schools a tough task

Rageshri Ganguly,TNN | Jun 4, 2014, 09.57 AM IST

BHOPAL: More than 42,000 missed calls have been received on 'School Chalein Hum Abhiyan' number in the last four days, a campaign to integrate "out of school" into various classes, spearheaded by the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself.

However, task of integrating "out of school" to schools remains a mammoth one as more than two lakh children still are either dropouts or have never been enrolled under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

As per the official portal of school education department, there are 73,614 students of which 38,453 boys and 35,161 girls in the 5 to 14 year category in the state have never been enrolled. Similarly, of the 70,853 students, there are 39,365 boys and 31,488 girls in the same age group who are dropouts.

While, maximum number of dropouts are in 5 to 11 age group, highest percentage of students in the 8 to 11 age group have never been enrolled.

Cumulatively, though around 1.45 lakh students are out of school, experts say the actual figure may be much higher. Also with the dismal state of government schools and lack of basic facilities like drinking water and toilets are driving away children from schools, especially girls.

Javed Anis, working in education sector and secretary of Madhya Pradesh Lok Sangharsh Sajha Manch said, "Apart from lack of toilets, what is unfortunate is the lack of potable water facilities and basic hygiene in them which deters girls going to schools altogether. Besides, the state continues to fare poorly on other RTE indicators."

According to the chalked out plan, School Chalein Hum Abhiyan-2014 for enrolment of all children between 6 and 14 years of age in schools would be run in four phases. The first phase began from April 30. Lists of children admissible in class I, VI and IX were uploaded on the portal on June 1 subsequently.

Second phase will be from June 10 where village in charges will contact children's mothers at Anganwadi centres. Parents will be motivated to come with children of 6 years of age to schools on June 16. Admission festival is scheduled to be held in schools on the same day. Teachers will meet parents twice during the time. Besides, a bridge course will be conducted from June 25 to July 20 in which admission will be given to children in class II to V, VII and VIII till June 25. Admission of children who migrated from elsewhere will be done till July 31. Identification and registration of unregistered children will be done till June 30. The third phase will be before first phase of Pratibha Parv and fourth phase before second phase of Pratibha Parv.

     ChildrenBoysGirlsTotal

          Drop outs- 39,36531, 48870,853

              Never enrolled- 38,45335, 16173,614

       Total- 77,81866, 6491,44,467

       (Source: )RTE indicators

      Norms Schools meeting norms

Toilet not usable- 34%

No separate toilet for girls-33.7%

No toilet-9%

Separate, but unlocked-39.4%

No drinking water -16.9%

Facility, but no water -12.5%

Pupil teacher ratio- (PTR) 42%

Boundary wall -39.1%

(Source: ASER 2013)

Courtesy- Times of India Bhopal Edition