Sonia voices concern over high school drop-out rate

Updated on: Sunday, February 06, 2011

Voicing concern over high school dropout rate, especially among BPL children and minorities, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said the government is committed to ensure that not a single child is deprived of education due to lack of money.

"Despite government giving scholarships and free coaching facility, percentage of children dropping out of schools, specially those coming from weaker section and minorities in still high," Gandhi said while addressing a function in her constituency after laying the foundation stone of a sports complex at Jawahar Navodaya school in Maharajganj.
Though government is making efforts, she said, political workers, NGOs and public representatives should publicise the schemes of the government so that those being deprived due to lack of information could be benefited.

She said that besides primary education, the UPA government has taken important steps to promote secondary education.

"It has been decided to set up a model school in each block across the country and in Uttar Pradesh, 148 schools have been sanctioned," the UPA chairperson said.

She said that Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan has been launched under which financial assistance will be given to secondary schools as well.

"It is the commitment of the UPA government that not a single child is deprived of education due to lack of money," she said.

Sonia said that to promote sports among school children, the UPA government has decided to construct sports complex in all Jawahar navodaya schools in the country.

"The foundation of the first sports complex is being laid in 'karmbhoomi' of Indiraji," she said.

She said that 70 per cent of the population lives in villages and children of poor families were deprived on education as they were unable to pay the fees.

The Congress president said that to ensure free and compulsory education to all children in the age-group of 6 to 14 years, Right to Education Act has been implemented.

"To successfully implement the RTE a provision of Rs 2.25 lakh crore fund has been made and full cooperation is being given to the states. As compared to last year, 75 per cent more fund has been allocated to UP and Rs 7,000 crore has been sanctioned," she said.

"Rajiv Gandhiji, who created the vision of 21 century India, was not only concerned about the all round development of the country, but also considered ensuring education to backward and poor as his prime responsibility," she said.

She said that the idea conceptualised by Rajiv took shape in form of Jawahar Navodaya schools and at present there were 600 schools with more than two lakh students.

"Majority of these children are from the backward and poor section of the society," she said.

The Congress president also felicitated Asian Games gold medallist athlete Sudha Singh by presenting a cheque of Rs 11 lakh.

Sonia voices concern over high school drop-out rate

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