Varanasi (UP), April 4 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday accused previous governments of "facilitating cheating" and said that before 2017, "education was not on the government's agenda".
"To enable this cheating, it was essential for them that no actual teaching or learning took place within the schools," he said while launching the School Chalo Abhiyan in Varanasi.
The campaign, which began on April 1, aims to ensure 100 per cent enrolment in primary and upper primary schools across the state. It will conclude on April 15.
During the event at the Composite School, Shivpur Varunapar Zone, he said that before 2017, whenever he would see children on the road and ask them the reason for not going to school, they would reply that "the school is too far away".
The CM said after analysing data regarding the matter, the lack of toilets, absence of separate restrooms for boys and girls and no provision for drinking water emerged as the reasons for dropping out, the chief minister said.
Highlighting the decline in dropout rate from 19 to mere three per cent, Adityanath said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, separate toilet facilities for boys and girls and drinking water arrangements have now been established in almost all schools under the Basic Education Council.
Underscoring that over Rs 80,000 crore is spent on school education, Adityanath urged the officials and teachers associated with the Basic Education Council to work towards bringing this dropout rate down to zero.
"Every child must be taken to school...When a child becomes literate, society progresses, and the nation achieves new heights of prosperity. Conversely, illiteracy leads to poverty and backwardness," he said.
The UP CM praised the Chitrakoot district magistrate for enrolling his own child in an Anganwadi centre, calling it an inspiring example for teachers and society and stressed that about 60 lakh new children have been enrolled in basic education schools over the past nine years.
At the event, he also said that from April, instructors will receive Rs 17,000 and Shikshamitra Rs 18,000 as honorarium. Teachers, instructors and cooks will also receive Rs 5 lakh cashless health insurance coverage, the UP government said in a statement.
Urging teachers to participate in the campaign, he directed principals to engage with parents and encouraged teachers to visit homes in villages and localities before school hours to identify children who are not attending school.
Recalling his visit to one of the schools before 2017, the chief minister said it had only 10 students, and even those were likely to drop out. He emphasised that when he revisited after 3 years, the number had risen to 250, and the same principal was later selected for a President's Award.
He said such transformation is possible in every school, and said that teachers' efforts have made 'Operation Kayakalp' a success, adding that NITI Aayog has recognised it as one of the most successful education initiatives in Uttar Pradesh.
The CM also revealed that over 1.36 lakh schools have been equipped with basic infrastructure and every child now receives free uniforms, sweaters, bags, books, socks and shoes.
Additionally, he said, through Operation NIPUN, children have developed an interest in learning and gained foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
Furthermore, he said, Kasturba Gandhi schools have been expanded up to Class 12, and Atal Residential Schools have been established for children of workers and destitute families.