J&K SED struggles to control school drop-outs
Performs poorly in retention of students
Muhammad Adnan
Srinagar: The J&K School Education Department (SED) continues to struggle in controlling the rate of school dropout among children, throwing a major challenge for the administration to minimise the number.
The issue was recently discussed in the Project Approval Board Meeting (PAB) meeting convened by Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) Ministry of Education, GoI.
The meeting was convened to consider the Annual Work plan and budget (AWP,&B) for 2022-23 financial year.
During the meeting, Secretary DSEL has expressed its concern over the annual dropout rate in schools across J&K.
As per the official figures, the annual average dropout rate at the secondary level in the year 2020-21 was three percent.
“But it is important to note that the dropout rate among the ST children is still very high,” read the minutes of the meeting issued by DSEL, MoE.
The official figures reveal that the dropout rate in certain districts of J&K was very high which has set alarm bells ringing for the J&K SED.
As per the figures, the dropout rate in Kishtwar is 8.27 percent at primary level while the district with high dropout rate at upper primary level mention Rajouri at 6.52 percent and Shopian at 5.96 percent.
“Similarly, at secondary level the dropout rate of students in Ramban district is 27.28 percent and 12.10 percent in Kishtwar district,” it said.
The Secretary DSEL has asked the J&K UT to expedite community based surveys identifying issues for such dropouts and meet the target as early as possible.
Besides controlling school dropouts, the J&K SED has poorly performed in maintaining the retention rate of students in schools at different levels as well, sources said.
As per the figures, the retention rate of students in government schools across J&K is below the National Average.
The retention rate in schools at primary level has been recorded at 84 percent and 66 percent at elementary level.
The MoE has asked the J&K UT to take measures for achieving 100 percent retention rate of children in schools.
The GoI has also expressed concern over the large number of dropouts at the upper primary level as compared to primary level noting that there was a need to lay more focus on improvement of net enrolment in secondary and higher secondary level.
Notably, the J&K Chief Secretary earlier pulled up the School Education Department (SED) for the decline in the retention of the students in government schools at different levels.
