Literacy rate in J&K rises by over 10 per cent

Updated on: Thursday, March 17, 2011

The literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 65.57 per cent as against 55.52 per cent in 2001-02, state Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed revealed.

"All the parameters of education have witnessed marked improvement over the years and the state is marching fast towards total literacy," he informed the Assembly.
While the male literacy has risen to 75.30 per cent, the female literacy has touched 57.11 per cent, he said, adding that the gender gap has also recorded significant drop to an all time low 16.59 per cent.

Presently 16.60 lakh children are studying in government schools with a total dropout recorded at 39,150 as against 3.76 lakh in 2004-05, Sayeed said.

A total of 680 middle school buildings and 5,467 additional classrooms were constructed throughout the state to tide over accommodation problem of the students, he said.

The government will provide free of cost uniforms to all the students of government schools next fiscal to facilitate their education, besides providing free books to students from class 1 to 8, he further said.

As many as 551 headmasters, 1,757 subject teachers and 251 junior teachers will be appointed, the Minister said.

While the government covered 10.60 lakh students under mid-day meal scheme, as many as 8,683 kitchen sheds were also constructed, he said.

On the issue of moral education, the Minister said that the government has made it mandatory to impart ethics to students during the morning assembly session in all educational institutions, for which 95 themes have been prescribed.

The Minister also said that private schools in the state have been asked to reserve quota for SC, ST and OBC students.

In a significant decision, he said that recruitment of vacant posts in 94 educationally backward blocks will be made on the pattern of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT), which will promote literacy in a big way in such areas.

Later, the House passed the demand of grants amounting to Rs 3,24950.30 lakhs for meeting the expenditure of the departments of School Education and Youth Services and Sports for the year 2011-12 by voice vote.

The departments for which the grants were passed included General Education, Sports and Youth Services, Census, Surveys and Statistics, outlay on Education, Sports, Art and Culture.

Literacy rate in J&K rises by over 10 per cent

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