Govt to pass free education bill in july: Sibal

New Delhi, Jun1: Kapil Sibal, human resource development minister has said that the central government is keen to pass the Right to Education bill in the ensuing budget session of the parliament.

Speaking at an Education Fair hosted by the country's apex forum of corporate sector, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) on Sunday, May 31, Sibal expressed concern on the number of Indian students dropping out from schools.

Sibal said, "The maximum drop outs are before class 10. Now, if the drop out rate is so high before class 10 and you don't have enough numbers to move into class 12, then you are not going to get numbers in graduation that you need to bolster the needs of the economy as the nation goes forward." He also said that a way to tackle this spurt is to get the free and compulsory education bill passed.

"There are enough number of people in the work force in this country we give them adequate education and develop human skills can actually be absorbed at the pace at which industrial development is moving forward," Sibal said.

He also added, "we have to actually work with the private sector in a very substantial sort of way to ensure to find out what are the needs of the private sector and how we can hone the educational system and show that our educational system actually delivers to the extent of the needs that are required by the private sector."

Right to Education bill seeks to make education a right of every child in the age group of 6-14 years. The bill has been pending in the Rajya Sabha.

ANI