Kolkata, Jan 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday called for a sharp increase in the enrolment of girls in schools to make them equal citizens and said every child should be made literate over the next decade with the aim of achieving 100 percent literacy.
“I wish to see every child in our country becoming literate over the next decade. We must aim for 100 percent literacy across India. I would also like to see that every child has access to school education within reasonable distance from his or her home.

“When I was young I had to walk miles to go to school. This should not be the lot of our children in future,” the prime minister said addressing the 150th anniversary celebrations of St. Xavier’s Collegiate School here.

Manmohan Singh said every girl child should get the opportunity to fulfil her potential.

“I would like to see a sharp increase in the enrolment of the girl child in schools. Every girl child should have the opportunity to fulfill her potential and become equal citizens of our great republic.”

He said the central government has made universal access to education one of the cornerstones of inclusive growth.

“Our government has made universal access to education one of the corner stones of our strategy of inclusive growth. I am delighted to learn that the rate of literacy has been going up significantly in the past few years. I am also happy to learn that enrollment ratios are rising and dropout rates are falling,” he said.

Saying his government has steeply increased public investment in education, the prime minister urged the states to ensure that the money is well spent.

“Our government has raised public investment in education very steeply. Never before has so much money been invested in education. I urge every state government to ensure that this money is well spent,” he said.

He spoke about the necessity of modernising the syllabi for the development of the intellect of the children.

“I also urge all those associated with school education in our country to pay special attention to the modernization of our syllabi and to the overall development of our children - their intellectual, physical, moral and social development.”

“We must pay attention to children’s health, to physical education and community and national service. School education must focus on the all-round development of a child’s personality.”

“I assure you that in the months to come we will pay even greater attention to the development of school education,” he added.