10.12 lakh children are out of schools in Karnataka, finds govt. survey

Karnataka High Court directs Chief Secretary-led high-level committee to suggest measures to immediately admit these children to anganwadis and schools

A survey of children aged between 0 and 18, conducted by the local authorities in Karnataka, has found that 10.12 lakh children aged 0 to 16, including 9.87 lakh in the age group of 0-6, have not enrolled to anganwadis/schools, the High Court of Karnataka was informed on Wednesday.

The details of the survey was submitted before a Division Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J.M. Khazi, during the hearing of a PIL petition initiated suo motu by the court in 2013 on the issue of out-of-school children.

Senior advocate and amicus curae K.N. Phanindra, in his report on the outcome of the survey, pointed out that 4,54,238 and 5,33,206 children in the age group of 0 to 3 and 4 to 6, respectively, have not enrolled to schools.

The report also states that 15,338 children belonging to 6 to 14 years of age are out of school, and 10,018 in the age group of 6 to 14 have never enrolled to the school.

The survey has identified a total of 66,68,262 children in the age group of 0 to 18 in the State.

In BBMP alone

The survey disclosed that 2,73,936 and 3,02,088 children in the age group of 0 to 3 and 4 to 6, respectively, have not enrolled to the schools in the limits of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike alone.

As many as 2,10, 623 children in the age group of 0-6 in the urban areas, excluding the BBMP areas, and 2,00,797 in the rural areas have not enrolled to the school, the report states.

The survey identified a total of 13,73,921 children in the age group of 0-18 in urban areas, excluding the BBMP limits, and 35,24,260 in the rural areas.

The total number of children identified in the BBMP limits is 17,70,081.

With the completion of the process of identification of children in the age group of 0 to 18 as per the RTE Act, the State government has to now take immediate steps to ensure admission of these children, primarily in the age group of 6 to 14, who have never enrolled to the school and those who have dropped out of schools, the amicus curiae told the Bench.

Taking note of the results of the survey, the Bench directed the high-level committee, which was set up to coordinate on the issue of out-of-school children on the court’s earlier direction, to consider the outcome of the survey and suggest to the court the immediate measures to be taken to admit these 9.87 lakh children in the age group of 0-6 to anganwadis.