(EDUCATION) NEW DELHI, 17JUNE 2004 INDIA AND THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

MDGs RELATING TO EDUCATION Two of the MDG goals are related to education: Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Target: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Education a concurrent subject. Education along with 28 other subjects now devolved to local bodies for implementation. -However extent of devolution varies from State to State EE system has 190 million children in the age group of 6-14, 3.2 million teachers and about 1 million schools. More than Rs 80,000 crores (Rs 800 billion) spent annually on Education in public sector, of which around 50% is on elementary education EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA

Increase Total Enrolment (Million) 7 times Enrolment of Girls (Million) 11 times5.969 Girls enrolment in primary 28% 44% 1.6 times Pri. & upper pri. schools 4 times 2,23,000 8,83667 Number of Teachers 5 times 6,24,00033,96,000 GER (Primary) 42% 96% 2.3 times GER (Upper Primary) 12% 5 times Literacy 17% 65% 4 times 90% Access to schools (1983) 98% Primary School (within 1 km.) UP School (within 3 kms.) 60% -- ELEMENTARY EDUCATION - A FACT SHEET Increased expenditure on education: 19 billion dollars in , i.e. 4.1 % of GDP (up from 0.64 % in ) and 14% of annual budget (up from 8%) of Central and State Governments together - of which 50% is on elementary education

Primary Upper Primary Figures in Million a) Enrolment

in % b) Gross Enrolment Ratio for Girls

Primary Upper Primary c) Share of Girls’ Enrolment in Total Enrolment % % % % In %

WHERE ARE WE VIS-A-VIS MDG GOALS Completion of primary schooling by all children: Still, out of 190 million children, around six million children are out of school Of all children enrolled in Class I, 39% drop-out by Class V (as in 2001) Gender equality in education Difference between boys and girls indices still remains: PrimaryUpper PrimarySecondary GER Drop-out rate(I-V)(I-VIII)(I-X) IMPROVING ENROLMENT, COMPLETION, GENDER PARITY A BIG CHALLENGE

OTHER CHALLENGES Student, Teacher attendance -Student attendance around 67% -Teacher attendance around 75% Low levels of learning achievement. Need for improvement of quality. Low participation of girls, tribals and hardest to reach groups (working children, urban deprived children, etc.). Inadequate school infrastructure.

OPPORTUNITIES Interventions so far have brought the country to a stage from where UEE appears eminently feasible Evidence of increased community participation in education, ensuring better planning, implementation and monitoring Increased parental awareness and demand for education Sense of urgency to achieve UEE both at provincial and national level. Presence of political will and commitment towards this task

SOLUTIONS EVOLVED TO MEET THE CHALLENGES SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (SSA) STARTED TO MAKE THIS RIGHT EFFECTIVE CONTEXT SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS LEGAL FRAMEWORK PROVIDED BY MAKING ELEMENTARY EDUCATION A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT MID-DAY MEAL TO ALL CHILDREN (100 MILLION) IN PRIMARY SECTIONS, WITH EXPANSION UPTO SECONDARY IN A PHASED MANNER

EE AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT A new Article 21A inserted in the Constitution, through Constitution (86th Amendment) Act, 2002: 'The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine.’ Central Legislation to make this Right operational under anvil Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the principle vehicle of Centre and States to fulfil their obligation

SSA OBJECTIVES  All children in school, by 2003;  All children complete five years of primary schooling by 2007  All children complete eight years of elementary schooling by 2010  Focus on elementary education of satisfactory quality with emphasis on education for life  Bridge all gender and social category gaps in primary by 2007 and elementary by 2010  Universal retention by 2010

Gender Specific programmes focussing on girls -Mahila Samakhya for women empowerment through education -Girls education as a SSA component for backward blocks -KBSV - residential schools for SC/ST/OBC girls Teacher education scheme to improve quality of teacher support to elementary education Mid-day meal scheme with the twin objective of increasing nutrition and enrolment National Literacy Mission for non-literate adults. -Of which 60% are female learners OTHER SUPPORTING PROGRAMMES

(Rs million) Special Focus for Educationally Weaker States The ten educationally weaker States have received proportionately higher amount under SSA in :

Tenth Plan allocation for Elementary Education is Rs crores (Rs billion) -SSA allocation Rs crores (Rs 170 billion) against 10th Plan GOI requirement Rs crores (Rs 320 billion) -In addition, allocation for DPEP, MDM, TE, etc for a total amount of Rs crores (Rs billion) Allocation for EE in : Rs 6000 crores (Rs 60 billion) Further resource generation: -External Aid (Rs 4700 crores or Rs 47 billion so far) -Contribution by NGOs, Private sector and community at large -Cess for education ? FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

Computerized Annual Educational Management Information System (EMIS) Quarterly Project Management Information System (PMIS) on qualitative and quantitative indicators Field monitoring through 42 Social Science Institutions and some financial management organisations TRACKING PROGRESS

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