24,308 kids are out of school in Karnataka, HC told

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court was informed that 18,584 children -- including 11,710 dropouts and 6,874 who never enrolled -- were tracked among 24,308 Out of School Children (OSC) -- 14,963 dropouts and 9,345 who never enrolled -- in the age group of 6-14 years. In all, 5,724 children (3,253 dropouts and 2,471 who never enrolled) are yet to be tracked.

Placing the status report regarding proceedings of the State Inter Departmental High Power Committee meeting and steps taken, before the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, amicus curiae KN Phanindra stated that out of 18,584 children who have been tracked, 14,871 children (9,715 dropouts and 5,156 never enrolled) have already been admitted to school, and the remaining 3,713 children (1,995 dropouts and 1,718 who never enrolled) are yet to be admitted.

The amicus curiae requested the court to issue directions to Samagra Shikshana Karnataka and School Education and Literacy departments to continue identifying OSC in the age group of 6-14 years, and ensure that such children are brought back into the mainstream of education within a stipulated time-frame, and submit the progress in admission.    

He also prayed before court to issue directions to the Women and Child Welfare, Social Welfare and Minority Welfare departments to identify and enrol children in the age group of 3-6 years, as pointed out in the household door-to door survey report submitted to court, and furnish a status report about progress in enrolment.   

Granting 12 weeks’ time to the state government to submit a further status report, the court, which has been monitoring OSC from 2013, directed the state government to ensure that the remaining 3,713 are admitted to school and 5,724 children are tracked.