Bhopal:Thursday, October 2, 2008:It is the determination to achieve lofty ideals that results into change in the much-trodden path and find new vistas. About five years ago, the journey of extension of education had begun with same determination. During this short period not only the number of schools and school buildings has gone up substantially but the number of school drop-outs and children without schooling has also come down considerably from seven lakh 74 thousand to one lakh 81 thousand. In the meantime, the two percent difference between the figures of admission of girls and boys has also come to an end and the number of students belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes has also gone up.
All this has been possible due to sincere and selfless efforts undertaken by the state government during the last about five years. Now an enthusiastic atmosphere prevails in the state vis-à-vis education.
Due to efforts to change the archaic mentality about girls’ education, more and more parents have started sending their daughters to schools. With the result, the two percent difference that existed between primary school admissions of boys and girls has come to an end. Not only this, but the difference of 8.5 percent at the middle school level has been reduced to only 0.4 percent.
Another feather to the state government’s cap is that during the last about five years, enrolment of scheduled caste children has risen to 104.2 from 101.4 percent in the primary schools and to 97.6 from 76.2 percent in the middle schools. So far as students belong to scheduled tribes is concerned their number has also gone up to 103.8 from 101 percent and to 90.4 from 52.8 percent in primary and middle schools respectively.
In the year 2003, only 82 percent students were studying in primary schools. This number has gone up to 96 percent now. Similarly, the number of middle school children has also risen to 88 from 66 percent.