The number of boys not going to schools is higher than that of girls, found UT education department’s household survey, conducted in December 2022, to identify out of school children (OoSC). The survey identifies children, aged between 7 and 14, who have either dropped out of schools or were not enrolled at all.
Out of the 3,082 OoSC, lowest in six years, identified in the survey, 1,620 are boys. The number is 1,462. The number of boys among OoSC remained higher in every age bracket as well as among children with special needs. The data also shows that there more out of school children aged between 7 and 10, as compared to those aged between 11 and 14.
The teachers of Smagra Shiksha visit houses in resettlement colonies and peripheral areas of the city to identify such children. The children at protection centres like juvenile justice home, rag pickers, and those working at eateries are also included in the survey. It is conducted in December so that the department can work towards mainstreaming these children back to formal education before the next academic session.
Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Harjinder Kaur said, “The department is working on initiatives like the Girl India Project for women empowerment. Although I am yet to study the data, this may be because such are starting to show results.” Director of school education, Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar, said that although the reason for this is not clear yet, the department will work towards getting both, girls and boys, back to school.
{{/usCountry}}Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Harjinder Kaur said, “The department is working on initiatives like the Girl India Project for women empowerment. Although I am yet to study the data, this may be because such are starting to show results.” Director of school education, Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar, said that although the reason for this is not clear yet, the department will work towards getting both, girls and boys, back to school.
{{/usCountry}}Number of OoSC lowest in six years
The 3,082 OoSC identified this year is the lowest since the 2018-2019 academic session, as per data available with the department. In December 2021, a total of 3,288 OoSC were identified and 2,727 of these were brought back to formal schooling by the department.
Speaking about this, Brar said, “The policies of the government are working in the right direction as we can see an annual decrease. We will continue to work under Right to Education to bring these children back to schools.”
Under Right To Education, 126 special training centres are functional this year to help with mainstreaming OoSC. Their skills are assessed and they are trained at these centres before being admitted to age appropriate classes. Children are enrolled in STCs throughout the year and are mainstreamed within a time frame of 3 to 24 months.