Aizawl: Comparing the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) fund allocation to Mizoram in 2009-2010 to the ratio of population of children, every child aged between six to 14 attending schools gets Rs 8473.87, according to state Education Minister Lalsawta.
Each of Mizoram’s children aged between six to 14, including those not attending schools, received Rs 8161.50 from the 2009-2010 SSA budget allocated to Mizoram, Lalsawta told a press conference here on Monday.
The minister’s statement was in reaction to opposition Mizo National Front MLA and former education minister Dr Lalthangliana’s recent allegations that state received the lowest fund allocation under SSA and Rastriya Madhymik Shiksha Abiyan (RMSA) among the northeast states during the last two years.
Based on the population of children, Mizoram received the highest fund allocation under SSA among the Northeast states, Lalsawta claimed.
Lalsawta further pointed out that Mizoram has 1.38 upper primary school for every two primary schools, against the national norms of one upper primary school for every two primary schools.
In the rest of the Northeast states, there are more than two primary schools for every upper primary school, he added.
In the all India education index in 2009-2010, Mizoram was placed at 18th position, the highest among the NE states, the education minister informed the press.
According to the minister, among the NE states, only Mizoram and Manipur have got the Centre’s approval to construct new schools during the 2011-2012 fiscal.
As a result, 63 new primary schools and 21 upper primary schools would be constructed, he said.
Proposal for construction of new schools by other NE states had not been approved due to the states’ failure to introduce the state Right to Education rules.
Lalsawta was also proud to announce that the state has only one educationally backward block, compared to Assam’s 81 educationally backward blocks, Arunachal Pradesh’s 38 blocks, Nagaland’s 11 blocks, Manipur’s five blocks, and Meghalaya’s and Tripura’s nine. (UNI)