62 Percent Children Left Studies In The Country: Survey

                               

Press Trust Of India Claimed:

A survey was taken across the country to check the status of education,the assessment found that the discontinuation of children's education was reported by three-fifths (62 %) of the surveyed households with the highest number was recorded in north India at 64% and the least in south India at 48%. No immediate reaction was available from the HRD ministry on the survey. On mid-day meals , the survey found that close to two-fifth of the households reported that their children were not receiving them. Across hubs, 52% of West (highest), 39%% of North, 38% of South and 28% of East reported that they were not receiving mid-day meals. "In terms of settlement, out of total 40% of urban and 38% of rural children were not receiving Mid day meal," it found. The assessment also found that 40 per cent people were not able to provide adequate meals and eight out of 10 households reported a loss of income. Anindit Roy Chowdhury, director of programmes and policy impact( Save the Children) (India), said what the report highlights is that a large proportion of children are not receiving any kind of support in terms of education. "The picture is certainly not good. Children are not getting a nutritious diet as well. The mid-day meal that children were used to get, they are not getting it now. Children are not just missing out on education but they are also missing out on what they were getting to eat," he told PTI.

The assessment found that two out of five households reported that they did not receive any kind of support either from the school or from the education department for their children's education. The report said "52 per cent of East (highest), 40 per cent of South, 39 per cent of North and 34 per cent of West (least) households reportedly did not receive any kind support for their children education". It further said "42 per cent of rural and 40 per cent of urban households had not received any kind of education support". In addition, the assessment said that 14 per cent households did not have smartphone or required internet bandwidth connection to attend online sessions. It also found that four out of ten children were reportedly 'playing at home with learning' and one out of four children were 'working at home' due to the closure of schools. Acute shortage of cash and lack of livelihood opportunities were among the most crucial challenges identified by the assessment. Lack of livelihood opportunities was reported by nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of the households while the acute shortage of cash was reported by 80 per cent households. "Close to half (45 percent) of households started taking distress measures like credits and loan while one in ten households reportedly sold household items and assets," it found. It also found that close to one in five households reportedly have not been receiving ration from the public distribution system. "Across hubs, 27 percent of North (highest), 17 per cent of West and 7 per cent each for East & South (least) households reported not to have received ration under PDS," it said. Chowdury said once migrant workers return home from other states they may have a house there but they do not have a livelihood. "It means there are more mouths to feed in limited income that has put a tremendous burden on the overall rural part of the country.

                                                                                                                                      -Abhishek Rawat