Monday, July 3 2006 18:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: Alarmed at the levels of illiteracy and high drop-out rate in schools, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today underscored the need for government and society to come together so that education is within everyone's reach.

The school drop-out rate was very high but the Centre's Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all programme) would help a great deal in bringing it down, she said at a function here.

She said the allocation for the Abhiyan was hiked and the it had now started showing its impact by keeping children in school.

Emerging India had taken most impressive strides, "But there are people who are untouched by progress", Gandhi said, adding the country had developed professional institutions but education had not reached its full potential.

She said there were a large number of uneducated persons and 'unacceptably high levels of illiteracy' among people.

"The Government and civil society should come together to ensure education is within everybody's reach. Private institutes can play a major role in imparting secondary education," she said.

Stressing on value-based education, she said schools should broaden children's minds and become the foundation for social harmony, imbibing values like secularism and tolerance.

The Congress President inaugurated the Sanskaar Valley School promoted by Bhaskar Group and Sharda Devi Charitable Trust here.