Sikkim girls are far ahead of the boys in school enrollment, the ratio standing at 113 girls to 100 boys. This is the highest in the entire northeast, and to maintain the trend the central government has ushered in a new scheme, according to an official. 'Sikkim has done very well and has stolen the march over other northeastern states. The girl child enrollment here is very high, which a very good sign,' told Rudra Poudyal, director of the human resource development department.
Focusing on the universalisation of secondary education, the scheme has been launched under the 11th Five Year Plan starting this year. The new scheme will see the allocation of new model schools keeping in consideration the educationally and otherwise backwardness of the entire northeast region. Success would be wholly financed by the central government in the first year and from the second to the fifth year, the central government would contribute 90%, 5% will be funded by the state and 5% by the Ministry of Development of Northeast Region (DONER). Poudyal said the central government had now recognised the need of further developing education in the region and has, therefore, chalked out new schemes and facilities. The government was also initiating the Northeast scholarship schemes and full computerized education for higher secondary students in the northeast region, for which INR 60 billion has been earmarked among others. 'In the northeast even the gross enrolment in standard IX is rising with our average in the country being 90%. We are moving forward and getting over the negative reality of high school dropout rates, we are doing well,' said Poudyal.
