More than 11.70 lakh children in the country were out of school during the first eight months of the fiscal year 2024-25. | Representative image
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was informed on Monday that more than 11.70 lakh children in the country were out of school during the first eight months of the fiscal year 2024-25. The minister’s figures show that a total of 11,70,404 children are out of school.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of out-of-school children (7.84 lakh), followed by Jharkhand (over 65,000) and Assam (over 63,000).
According to the Centre, an OoSC is a child between the ages of six and fourteen who has never attended an elementary school or who has missed 45 days of class after enrolling without warning. Therefore, OoSC includes both dropouts and those who have never attended school, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Responding to a written question in the House, Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary stated that Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of such youngsters.
“Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy maintains PRABANDH (Project Appraisal, Budgeting, Achievements and Data Handling System) portal on which state and UT provide and update the data relating to Out of School Children,” Chaudhary said.
The lowest out-of-school numbers are from Sikkim which stands at 74. Meanwhile, the Union Territories including Ladakh and Lakshadweep recorded zero out-of-school numbers. Andaman and Nicobar Islands had 2 and Puducherry recorded 2 out-of-school children.
With inputs from PTI
