School Dropout Rate in 7 States Higher Than National Average, Bihar Performs Worst
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New Delhi: The school dropout rate at the secondary level was higher than the national average of 12.6% in 2021-22 in seven states including Gujarat, Bihar and Karnataka, the Hindu reported.
Bihar had the highest dropout rate at 20.46%, followed by Punjab (21.7%), Gujarat (20.3%), Assam (17.85%), Meghalaya (17.2%), Andhra Pradesh (16.7%) and Karnataka (14.6%)
This information was collated from the minutes of the Project Approval Board (PAB) meetings held between March and May under the Ministry of Education to discuss the "Samagra Shiksha" programme’s implementation for 2023-24, the Hindu report said.
Samagra Shiksha is an integrated scheme for school education launched by subsuming the erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
According to the minutes, West Bengal’s dropout rate improved substantially from 2020-21 to 2021-22, particularly at the elementary level, though the actual figures were not mentioned.
The minutes also said that there were many children out of school in the Union Territory of Delhi without a number accompanying the statement, according to the Hindu.
Also read: More Boys Dropped Out of School Than Girls at Secondary Level in India in 2019-20: Report
The documents showed that Madhya Pradesh’s dropout rate at the secondary level had declined from 23.8% in 2020-21 to 10.1% in 2021-22. The state runs a special enrollment drive every year with a focused household survey, it was noted.
Data showed that in Maharashtra, the annual average dropout rate at the secondary level had declined from 11.2 % in 2020-2021 to 10.7% in 2021-2022. However, the dropout rate in five districts of the state is 15% and above, the Hindu report said.
While in Uttar Pradesh, the annual average dropout rate was "very high" in districts of Basti (23.3 %), Budaun (19.1%) , Etawah (16.9% ), Ghazipur (16.6%) , Etah (16.2%) , Mahoba (15.6%), Hardoi (15.6%) and Azamgarh (15%), the collated data showed.
The documents showed that while Rajasthan’s dropout rate declined steadily, dropout among scheduled tribes (9%) and Muslim (18%) children is still "very high" at the secondary level, the Hindu reported.
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