Parliament Question: Educational Impact of Parental Migration on Children

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO - 222 ANSWERED ON – 09/03/2026 Educational Impact of Parental Migration on Children *222. Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment of the educational impact of seasonal and long-term parental migration on children in the high-migration districts of Kalahandi, Balangir and Nuapada in Odisha and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether any mechanism is in place under Samagra Shiksha or allied schemes to identify and track left-behind children who face irregular attendance and learning gaps due to parental absence and if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of remedial education, bridge courses or special learning interventions extended to such children in western Odisha, particularly for girls whose literacy levels remain below the State average; (d) whether any provisions for psychosocial counselling and community-based support systems have been integrated into school education frameworks in migration-prone districts of Odisha and if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether the Government proposes targeted measures such as migration-linked scholarships, community learning centres or technology-enabled parental engagement models to address educational deprivation in western Odisha and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN) (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 222 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026 ASKED BY SMT. SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO, HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING “EDUCATIONAL IMPACT OF PARENTAL MIGRATION ON CHILDREN.” (a) to (e): Education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of the schools come under the purview of the respective State and UT Government. Under Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, State Government is supported based on annual plans prepared by the State based on their requirements and priority and this is reflected in their respective Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) Proposals which are then appraised and approved by the Project Approval Board (PAB) in the Department of School Education & Literacy in consultation with the State as per the programmatic and financial norms of the scheme, and physical and financial progress of the State for the interventions approved. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme Samagra Shiksha, support is provided to States and Union Territories for the mainstreaming of Out-of-School Children (OoSC) through age-appropriate admission in regular schools. Financial support is provided for Special Training for age appropriate admission of out-of-school children at Elementary level. As per the norms upto Rs. 6,000/- per child per annum is provided for non-residential courses and upto Rs. 20,000/- per child per annum is provided for residential courses. During 2025-26, Rs. 219.10 lakh has been approved for this component for Odisha. 35 residential seasonal hostels have been opened in the districts of Kalahandi, Balangir and Nuapada benefiting 1367 children, including 753 boys and 614 girls. Under the scheme of Samagra Shiksha 324 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (including 22 in Balangir, 10 in Nuapada and 26 in Kalahandi district) are functional in Odisha, where 40,999 girls (including 2501 in Balangir, 1500 in Nuapada and 3681 in Kalahandi district) are getting access to quality education. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned 111 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) schools in Odisha to provide quality education to the tribal children in their own environment located in tribal dominant blocks. Further, under PM JANMAN 8 hostels in Kalahandi and 2 hostels in Nuapada districts have been approved for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in Odisha. Under DAJGUA, 6 hostels in Kalahandi and 2 hostels in Nuapada districts have been approved for tribal children in Odisha. In addition to the above, as informed by the Government of Odisha, residential Seasonal Hostels have been established to address the issue of school-going children migrating with their parents to distant places in search of better livelihood opportunities. The primary objective is to retain such children in schools, ensure continuity of their education, facilitate completion of Elementary and Secondary Education, and prevent dropouts. The identification of children from migrant families is carried out annually by Assistant Block Education Officer (ABEO)-cum-Block Resource Centre Coordinators (BRCCs), Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs), and teachers prior to the migration season, particularly after the Nuakhai festival in the western region of the State. The implementation of seasonal hostels in the districts of Kalahandi, Balangir, and Nuapada has led to a significant reduction in the migration of children who used to migrate with their families, thereby impacting their learning outcomes. These seasonal hostels provide a safe and homely environment, along with essential logistical support such as food, electricity, water, boundary walls, and toilet facilities, in accordance with prescribed guidelines. Children are able to continue their studies without disruption, leading to noticeable improvement in their learning outcomes. PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) conducted in December, 2024 reflects that the performance of Odisha is better than the national average in all categories in grade 3, 6 and 9. The report of PRS 2024 is available at: https://parakh.ncert.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-07/REPORT_India_IND.pdfClass 3 (Percentage Correct Scores Comparison) 2024 Subject Kalahandi Balangir Nuapada National State Language 73 66 60 64 65 Mathematics 70 62 58 60 61 Class 6 (Percentage Correct Scores Comparison) 2024 Subject Kalahandi Balangir Nuapada National State Language 68 65 59 57 64 Mathematics 61 56 51 46 51 The World 62 57 51 49 54 around us Class 9 (Percentage Correct Scores Comparison) 2024 Subject Kalahandi Balangir Nuapada National State Language 60 57 51 54 59 Mathematics 50 41 38 37 41 Science 50 42 38 40 43 Social Science 49 43 39 40 43 Further, as informed by the State Govt. of Odisha, Girls from migrant families who are retained in Seasonal Hostels are able to continue their studies smoothly, receiving academic support in accordance with the prescribed curriculum and hostel guidelines, without any disruption or difficulty. Community participation is actively encouraged through Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs), SMC meetings, and other school-level interactions conducted as and when required, ensuring continuous engagement, monitoring, and support for the children. The Seasonal Hostels are managed by the School Management Committees (SMCs). Group and individual counselling sessions are conducted by school teachers in coordination with the SMCs to address the psychosocial needs of migrant children and their families. In addition, awareness programmes and community-based initiatives are undertaken to encourage retention of migrant children in the Residential Seasonal Hostels and to ensure their safety and protection in accordance with the guidelines. The State Govt. of Odisha provides educational assistance to the children of construction workers including children of migrant construction workers under Nirman Shramik Kalyan Yojana (NSKY). Under this scheme, Rs. 1951.93 lakh was provided to 23,850 children during 2024-25 and Rs. 3414.27 lakh was provided to 39,062 children during 2025-26. *****