Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Friday said the state has once again emerged as a national model in child welfare and public education, registering the lowest school dropout rate in the country citing the findings in a latest UNICEF report.
While "The State of the World's Children 2025" report warns that nearly 20 crore children across the country continue to be deprived of basic rights such as education, healthcare, and nutrition, Kerala presents a stark contrast with its strong social sector achievements, he said in a statement.
Reacting to the findings, he said the report must be taken seriously at the national level.
Amid such a challenging national scenario, Kerala showcases a completely different model before the country," he said.
Contrary to the national-level concerns over children's educational disruptions, almost every child, who enters Class 1 in the state, completes schooling up to Class 12 without interruption, he said.
It is an achievement far ahead of the national average, he said.
According to the minister, Kerala's progress is the result of long-term, sustained government efforts.
Initiatives such as the Public Education Rejuvenation Mission and comprehensive programmes for children's health and nutrition have strengthened the state's public education system, Sivankutty said.
Kerala also stands as a model for other states in terms of academic standards, infrastructure development, and gender equality in education, he further said.
Stating that the UNICEF report reiterates the urgent need for nationwide action to protect children's rights, he said ensuring access to education, healthcare, and nutrition is essential for sustainable development.
Kerala's achievements should inspire national policy-making aimed at securing a safer future for children, the education minister added.
UNICEF said on Thursday that India is on course to meet its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of halving multidimensional poverty ahead of the 2030 deadline, even as millions of children continue to face critical gaps in access to basic services like education, health and clean water,
According to "The State of the World's Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty Our Shared Imperative", about 206 million children in India or nearly half the country's child population, lack access to at least one of six essential services-- education, health, housing, nutrition, clean water and sanitation.
"Out of this, less than a third (62 million) lack access to two or more basic services and still need support to escape two or more deprivations," the report has said.