The enrollment of students at elementary level has improved from 18.78 crore in 2009-2010, when the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 was implemented, to 19.67 crore as per Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2015-16. The transition rate from class VIII to class IX is 90.62% as per UDISE 2015-16.
As per UDISE 2015-16, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of girls at secondary level is 80.97% and the GER of boys at secondary level is 79.16%. Further, Annual Average drop out rate of girls is 16.88% which is less than the drop out rate of boys of 17.21%.
Section 16 of the RTE Act, 2009 provides that no child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class till the completion of elementary education. However, various States/UTs have raised the issue of adverse effect of this provision on the learning levels of children. Therefore, in order to improve the learning outcomes in the elementary classes and after wide deliberations with all the stakeholders, it has been decided to amend Section 16 so as to empower the appropriate Government to take a decision as to whether to hold back a child in the fifth class or in the eighth class or in both classes, or not to hold back a child in any class, till the completion of elementary education. Accordingly, the RTE (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 11th August, 2017.
This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Shri Upendra Kushwaha in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
