Over 11.7 lakh children were identified as out-of-school across India in the first eight months of the 2024-25 financial year, according to information shared in the Lok Sabha on Monday. In response to a written question, Union Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, highlighted the alarming number of children who have yet to receive formal education. Uttar Pradesh has been identified as having the highest number of out-of-school children, with a staggering 7.84 lakh children not enrolled in school.

Chaudhary further explained that the Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy tracks the data through the PRABANDH portal (Project Appraisal, Budgeting, Achievements, and Data Handling System). This portal allows states and Union Territories to provide and update data on out-of-school children, enabling authorities to take action and implement measures to ensure these children are brought back into the educational system.

The data reveals that Uttar Pradesh is not the only state struggling with this issue. Jharkhand follows with over 65,000 children out of school, while Assam has more than 63,000 children in a similar situation. The figures reflect the ongoing challenges in India’s educational landscape, where a significant number of children continue to miss out on education due to various socio-economic factors, including poverty, migration, and a lack of infrastructure.

This situation underscores the urgent need for targeted policies and initiatives to address the root causes of school dropouts and to ensure that all children have access to quality education. The data also calls attention to the need for stronger coordination between the central and state governments, as well as local communities, to identify and support children who are at risk of missing out on education.

Source: PTI

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