Even after continuous efforts the government and private sector to bring children to schools and improve education quality, about 2.5 million school-aged children remain out of educational institutions. The current dropout rate is 17.9 per cent for primary education, and it is much higher for secondary education, as fewer than half the students go through the five years. Additionally, the student-teacher ratio remains very high, at 46 to 1, and about 77.4 per cent of schools have double shifts.
We see during the pandemic, marginalised children suffered the heaviest losses which pushed them further into poverty. It is crucial that we prioritise a safe reopening of schools and invest in remediation of learning losses for those most affected. Studies have shown that positive school experiences during this transition period are a predictor of children’s future social, emotional and educational outcomes. Children who fall behind in learning during the early years often stay behind for the remaining time they spend in school, and the gap widens over the years. The number of years of education a child receives also directly affects their future earnings.
Only 26 per cent of teachers have received leadership training and there is a lack of trained teachers who are proficient in braille. Experts suggest a comprehensive plan to achieve national education targets, and a monitoring system involving the government, NGOs and teachers. Besides, focusing on inclusive education materials and designing special programmes for disadvantaged groups are special requirements in addition to the creation of a conducive environment. Everyone should join hands and work together to implement the child education policy of 2013 and strengthen the technical education sector. To serve the nation tomorrow, we must act today and invest in education with the highest potential of return in future. The cent per cent enrolment target would not be achieved unless children of the marginalised families in urban and rural settings are addressed.
