Haryana is one of the enriched Indian states that boast of agricultural excellence. Besides, agro-development, the state is concentrating to develop education to the next level.

Literacy in Haryana :

• Literacy rate of Haryana has been improved from 67.91 % in 2001 to 75.55% in 2011.

District-wise Literacy Rate (in %) :

RURAL LITERACY IN HARYANA :

• According to Census 2011, the rural literacy rate of Haryana stands at 71.42%, which is greater than the national average of 67.8%. The rural male literacy rate of the state stands at 81.55%, which is greater than the national average of 77.2%. The rural female literacy rate of the state stands at 51.96%, which is also greater than the national average of 57.9%.

URBAN LITERACY IN HARYANA :

• According to Census 2011, the urban literacy rate of Haryana stands at 83.14%, which is less than the national average of 84.1%. The male urban literacy rate of the state stands at 88.63%, which is slightly less than the national average of 88.8%. The female urban literacy rate of the state stands at 65.98%, which is also less than the national average of 79.1%.

Change in literacy rate 2001 to 2011- Haryana :

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION IN HARYANA :

• The school education system in Haryana is not lagging behind the other Indian states. There are pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher-secondary and degree education available in this state. Both government and private schools are being facilitated in Haryana. There are around (Govt. 8,883) 14,025 Primary, (Govt.2,394) 3,483 Middle and (High-382, Secondary-1,829) 7,060 High/Secondary Schools in Haryana.
• The government schools are administered by the Education Department of the State Government, which is broadly termed as the Haryana Education Board. Majority of the private schools are affiliated under Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

HIGHER EDUCATION IN HARYANA :

• To make Haryana a leading state educationally has been the principal concern of the State Government. The primary focus of the State Government is to provide quality and need based education to all. Education scene today in the state is at a tipping point. The higher education sector in Harvana is to respond to the dynamic changes happening all over the globe.
• The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of the students in the higher education institutions in Haryana is 28.7% as compared to the GER of 19.40% which is a result of state's welfare oriented incentive schemes including generous scholarship assistance.

Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE) :

• The Board of School Education in Haryana was established in 1969 at Chandigarh. Haryana Board of Education is the authority, which conducts the public examinations at middle, matric and senior secondary (academic and vocational) levels twice a year in the state of Haryana through the affiliated schools.
• The board started working with a staff of 100 officials allocated from Punjab University, Chandigarh. The board conducted its first examination of matric level in year 1970. From year 1976, the board also started conducting middle examination (Class 8th). In year 1981, the board was shifted to Bhiwani.
• In 1994, the board established Haryana Open School to increase its sphere. The board has adopted the semester system from session 2006-2007. It is the first educational board in India to do so and also the first board to introduce relative grading, Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) in all board classes i.e. middle, secondary and senior secondary.

STATE COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING (SCERT) :

• It was established in April, 1979. It was the conglomeration of State Institute of Education and State Institute of Science to provide new dimensions to school education. It has been a firm view of Haryana Education Department to enhance educational standards of teachers, so as to bring about overall qualitative improvement in different echelons of school education. It is in recognition of this endeavour that SCERT through its eight different departments fulfils all the needs and requirements in the field of education.
• The council lays highest importance on maintaining excellence in teaching both as an end in itself and as a basis for creativity for sustaining excellence in research. The institution aims to acquaint teachers with innovations brought out in the sphere of school education through continuous training sessions, workshops and other measures.

EDUCATION GOVERNMENT SCHEMES :

MUKHYA MANTRI SHIKSHA DEEKSHA YOJANA :

• Haryana Government on 5th February, 2014 launched the "Mukhya Mantri Shiksha Deeksha Yojana" in all government schools of the state, which is a scheme based on the concept of activity-oriented learning. This scheme is aimed at enhancing the standard government education by having a qualitative change.

SHIKSHA PARIYOJANA PARISHAD :

• Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojana Parishad is a Haryana's Government Department Registered Society, which is primarily responsible to implement Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in Haryana state.

COMPREHENSIVE COMPUTER EDUCATION PROGRAMME :

• This is a 'fully state funded scheme' and has been launched for five years from the year 2010-11. Under this scheme, about 213 Govt. Sr. Schools in the state will provide computer education to the students.

SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN :

• It is Government of India's flagship programme for achievement of Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory education to the children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right. SSA is being implemented in partnership with Centre and State Governments with a sharing pattern of 65:35, respectively. Under this flagship, all children from Class 1st to 8th in government schools have been provided free text books/work books, financial support for stationery, school bags and school uniform.

RASHTRIYA MADHYAMIK SHIKSHA ABHIYAN :

• This scheme was launched in March 2009, with the objective to enhance access to secondary education and improve its quality and the implementation of the scheme started from 2009-2010.
• It is envisaged to achieve an enrolment rate of 75% from 52.26% in 2005-2006 at secondary stage within 5 years by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of any habitation. The other objectives include improving quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providing universal access to secondary level education by 2017, i.e. by the end of 12th Five Year Plan and achieving universal retention by 2020.

GIRL EDUCATION IN HARYANA :

• The Haryana Government is chiefly concerned about literacy among females. Haryana Government offers concessions and incentives for girls and especially to those belonging to Backward /EWS and Schedule Castes. Scheduled Castes /EWS girls in primary, middle and high classes are being provided with free uniforms. Scheduled Castes/EWS students are provided grants for books and stationery articles and given scholarships and reimbursement of tuition fees. Education is free for female candidates upto graduation level.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR DISABLED AT SECONDARY STAGE (IED-SS) :

• This is a completely centrally sponsored scheme that provides education to Children With Special Needs (CWSN) at secondary level (Classes 9th to 12th) in general education system with adequate environment.

NATIONAL SKILLS QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (NSQF) :

• This programme was started in 2012-13 in pilot mode and covered 40 schools. The programme, initially known as National Vocational Education Qualifical Framework (NVEQF), now stands under RMSA and renamed as National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). In 2014-15, another 100 Govt. Sr. Sec. Schools were covered and a centre of Excellence has been set up in Faridabad.

SAAKSHAR BHARAT :

• This is a centrally sponsored scheme for Adult Education which is operational in 10 districts of Haryana. The focus of this project is to literate approximately, 1 lakh persons persons especially females of Scheduled Castes, minorities and margsinalised sections in the age group of 15 or more who have never been enrolled in the schools, during the year 2014-15.

Features of State Regarding Literacy and Continuing Education Programme :

Certain features in view of literacy and Continuing Education programme of the State need to be underlined before we proceed to district wise plan :

• Haryana is a relatively well - developed State but it is pointed out that the social indices are quite low. In terms of literacy rate, the State is ranked 20th in the country. The female-male ratio which is 861:1000 which is lowest as compared to other States. In the age group of 0-6, this ratio is more alarming i.e. 820:1000. The social status of women is very poor. The female literacy rate at present is just 54.16%. The 'purdah' system is prevalent throughout the State. In the Southern and South-western parts of the State, the custom of child marriage is also widespread. Moreover, the very idea of making women literate and educated sometimes faces stiff resistance from certain sections of society.
• As per information of government sources, the problem of drop-out in schools is rampant in the State. It is higher amongst the poor, the dalits and girls. There is a school in every village of the State, which signifies the spread of education, but so far as the quality of education is concerned, it is comparatively low.
• The Arya Samaj Movement has contributed creditably in the sphere of education, girls education “Murti Pooja”, Child Marriage etc. The impact of this movement can still be seen in some areas. However, apart from this, social reform movements have been very weak and in fact, there has been no significant social reform movement in the State in the 20th century.
• The elected panchayats are not very effective in the context of development. Apart from this, traditional community based panchayats are also there but they have not taken much interest even in the case of non-controversial social movements such as literacy campaigns; rather, at some places, these campaigns have been even opposed by these panchayats.
• In spite of this fact that Haryana is considered to be a developed State, yet, a large number of people is still below the poverty line in the State. In fact, many areas are in a very backward state. Many parts of District of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Sirsa are the victims of poverty and illiteracy. The social indices of these districts are also quite low. The Muslim dominated Mewat area is very backward and this is, perhaps, the poorest and most illiterate part of the State. The literacy programme in these areas is the dire need of the day because of the largest number of illiterates is there in these areas.
• There is a constant coming and going of migrant labour in agriculture, small-scale industries, brick kilns and other such sectors. Most of this labour is engaged on the basis of daily wage. As many as 14,21,839 people reside in slums in Haryana. A very large number of them are illiterate. Large populations of these labours is working on piece-rate in factories situated in cities. It is a challenging task to make these segments of society literate. In order to focus on this problem, we would have to engage school children for the literacy of these sections mentioned above. In view of the above, it is necessary to organize an orientation workshop of all DEOs of Haryana.
• In Haryana education is not considered as a means of self - development or as part of the process of national development. It is, rather, viewed in terms of being a means of establishing personal prestige. This attitude is prominently reflected due to indifference generally shown education for education among women and the backward classes of society.
• Many NGOs are in existence but they lack of voluntarism. Hence they are not interested in social developmental processes. Sometimes, they restrict rather than widening the scope of local possibilities and initiatives.

Priority Areas :

• Low Literacy Districts : In Haryana seven districts are considered to be low female literacy rate districts as per the census 2001. In these districts female literacy rate is less than 50 percent. Some special programme will be initiated to raise the literacy rate in these districts.
• Special concentration to Mewat : Mewat area is situated in the southern part of Haryana which is dominated by Meos. The whole belt is very backward, poor and the almost an illiterate part of Haryana. The literacy programme is the dire need of this area in order to bring its population under the main stream of development.
• District Specific Continuing Education Programme : Every district has its own socio-cultural, economical and geographical scenario. Under these circumstances, every district needs a separate plan for successful implementation as well as to attain the sustainability aspects of CE after five years.
• Integration with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan : There are so many programmes running in the state for the upliftment of the education level of the society in the forms of formal and informal. There is a need to organize inter-sectoral collaboration. School children can play a role of volunteer teacher.

There are three categories of districts as per literacy programme running in Haryana :

• Districts under Post Literacy : Ten districts namely Faridabad, Kaithal, Fatehebad, Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Mewat, Sirsa, Bhiwani and Hisar are running Post Literacy programme.
• Districts where Post Literacy is yet to be started : District Gurgaon has submitted its Post Literacy Project Proposal to National Literacy Mission Authority, New Delhi but due to some technical reasons, it has not been sanctioned. District Ambala has not yet submitted its Post Literacy Project Programme so far.
• District under Continuing Education : Eight districts have been covered under Continuing Education programme. Out of these, four districts have been sanctioned for the Continuing Education Programme. Continuing Education is running in Yamuna Nagar since 1999. Panchkula has been running this programme for the last one year. Sonepat and Karnal are districts which have taken up Continuing Education Programme recently. Continuing Education Projects of Jind, Panipat & Mohindergarh districts have been submitted to NLMA. Rewari district has submitted its project to SRC, Rohtak.

Status of Literacy Programme of Haryana :

NEW EDUCATION POLICY, 2015 :

• A meeting of the State Education Ministers and State Education Secretaries for formulation of New Education Policy (NEP) was held under the Chairpersonship of Hon'ble HRM on 21st March, 2015 at New Delhi.
• The meeting was attended by Secretaries of the Departments of School Education and Literacy and Higher Education, MHRD, Chairman UGC & NCETE, acting Chairman AICTE, Education Ministers of 22 States/UTs along with State Education Secretaries and other senior officials of MHRD and State Governments as well as State Information Officers (SIOs).
• In Haryana, meetings were held in 6,072 villages, followed by meetings in 119 blocks and then in 21 districts. Experts said that after the abolitenion of exams and introduction of no-detention policy, students had become careless and irregular in attending school. It was observed that absenteeism and disrespect towards teachers had increased.
• The performance of the teachers was also affected. It was recommended that the old system of having exams in classes 5th and 8th be revived. The formation of a single board at the national level was suggested. The experts were of the opinion that different boards were given different kind of weightage.
• The need for having teachers for different subjects in primary schools was highlighted. Problems that were being encountered due to Continuing and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) were discussed. During the meeting, it was stated that the view from most places in Haryana was that mid-day meal was not required to be given in schools in the state. If the mid-day meal has to be given, packed food should be provided instead of cooking it in the schools premises.