Teacher availability improving elementary education: Smriti

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) The additional recruitment of teachers has improved the pupil-teacher ratio in government schools, and this has improved elementary education, parliament was told on Monday.

"Teacher availability in elementary education has improved with the additional recruitment of 15.06 lakh teachers funded under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan programme," Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

"The national pupil teacher ratio in government and government-aided schools is 28:1 at primary, 31:1 at upper primary and 34:1 at secondary level," she added.

Over 25 crore children are enrolled in classes 1 to 12 in the country, said Irani.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides for free and compulsory elementary education to all the children of the age of six to 14 years in a neighbourhood school.

Section 11 of the RTE Act also provides that the government may make necessary arrangements for pre-school education.