The Hindu : National : World Bank lauds Rajasthan for education project

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World Bank lauds Rajasthan for education project

Special Correspondent

Cited as an example worthy of emulation by others

JAIPUR: A joint review mission of the Union Government and the World Bank has praised the works launched under the second phase of the District Primary Education Project (DPEP) in nine districts of Rajasthan between September 2000 and March 2008 and cited the State’s success as an example worthy of emulation by others.

State Education Minister Kalicharan Saraf said that the World Bank had recently given second rank to Rajasthan on a scale of eight points proving a successful execution of DPEP. The State spent Rs.400.31 crore, amounting to 97.34 per cent of the sanctioned amount, on the implementation.

Enrolment

Mr. Saraf said the objectives of DPEP were to improve enrolments in schools, reduce the dropout level and enhance the learning level. With 2.48 lakh children enrolled in schools, the dropout rate was reduced from 60 per cent to 27 per cent during seven and a half years of the project. The project was executed in Bundi, Churu, Alwar, Dausa, Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Jaipur and Hanumangarh districts. Mr. Saraf said while the gender gap was reduced from 12.45 per cent to 5.92 per cent, as many as 1.74 lakh children with special needs were enrolled in schools. The appointment of 38,000 new teachers in 2005-06 and 19,000 in 2007-08 led to a significant reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio from 52 to 34.22 .

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