Free education till class XII: Nitish

Bihar government would launch a Rs 1400-crore training programme with the help of the World Bank for teachers for quality enhancement of education, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said. Seventy per cent of Rs 1400 crore would be borne by the World Bank, Kumar said addressing a public meeting at Samastipur, Bihar. "Drop out rates have gone down. In 2005, the drop out in schools was 12.5 per cent whereas only two per cent of children are now out of schools," he said. Kumar said that in a bid to further improve educational environment, the state government targets to achive 100 per cent education for children till class XII. For this, 1000 high schools would be set up in different panchayats of the state this year, he added. The CM said bicycle plan for girls has "revolutionised" female literacy. "In comparison to 2007, today four times more girls are getting education," he added.