SSA figure of only 9,468 children out of school prompts experts to seek resurvey

A recent survey conducted by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Bengaluru is the subject of a lot of criticism as experts and officials are lambasting the findings of the survey that only 9,468 children are away from schools, and are demanding a resurvey to arrive at the true figure.

Nagasimha G Rao, director, Child Rights Trust, pegs the number at a minimum of 3 lakh children in Karnataka. "OOSC cannot be a paltry 9,468. It looks like the surveyors have not even touched the rural pockets. As many as 30 children arrive at Majestic and Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station every day from various parts of the country, in search of jobs. These children are also out of school children. Punching holes at the survey, he pointed out that the data has excluded missing children and children with special needs who do not attend schools due to lack of special facilities. To arrive at an accurate figure, the SSA needs to collaborate with the labour department, women and child welfare department, social welfare department and NGOs," he said

It is noteworthy that Maruthi MR, senior programme officer, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan himself admits that the survey conducted may not have been comprehensive. “We have asked officers concerned, especially in places like Bengaluru North, to conduct a resurvey. There is a huge floating population in Bengaluru and the OOSC data will be certainly more than 189 in Bengaluru North.".

Bengaluru is a fast growing city pock marked with slums, here ragpicking and child beggary are major issues here that keep children out of schools, Maruthi pointed out. In fact there is rising evidence that the survey figures were dependent on the surveyors who undertook the survey and also the area in which it was being undertaken. For example, "The number appears to be relatively high in districts where officials have worked hard and made all possible efforts to find children who are away from school. To that extent, the data is relative. Places where the number is comparatively lower can also mean a lack of accuracy in the survey conducted. For example, the number is only 189 in Bengaluru North district that has the highest number of garment factories. The number is 1,462 in Bengaluru South. It also depends on the area covered. Bengaluru South has the highest number of schools – 3,000 and more," said an officer in the education department.

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While the efficacy of the research conducted is being debated, it is a fact that the figures are worked upon to drive end results. As many as 456 children have been brought back to mainstream education, through options like tent schools for children of migratory families.

Across the surveys, a consistent reason for OOSC has been child labour. Sharing an analysis of last year’s survey an officer said, "During the survey, we found that in all, 1.68 lakh children were out of school. But when we analyzed the data further, we realized 12,513 children had undergone double admission and 20,490 children had migrated out of the state,"

After the survey, 567 children were found to be dead. "At the end of the survey, we were able to mainstream 1.28 children back into school, leaving only 6,792 children out of school that year," say officials.

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