Assam: Increased primary school dropout rate a big challenge

 Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The average annual dropout student rate in the primary schools in the state is increasing year-on-year since the last few years, and lowering this is going to pose a major challenge for the School Education Department in the next academic year.

The burgeoning issue of school dropouts has been brought to light in reports from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+).

As per UDISE+ 2022–23, the average annual school dropout rate in the lower primary level in the state during 2022–23 is 8.49. The dropout rate was 6.02 in 2021–22, 4.3 percent in 2019–20, and 3.1 percent in 2018–19.

Similarly, in the Upper Primary level, the dropout rate stood at 10.33 percent in 2022–23, while it was 8.81 percent in 2021–22. The highest drop-out rate of 22.52 percent in the lower primary level was registered in South Salmara, followed by 14.54 in Karimganj, while the lowest rate of 4.02 percent is in Sivasagar. Also, this rate is highest in the upper primary level in South Salmara at 32.29 percent, and the lowest is again in Sivasagar at 4.03 percent during the period 2022–23.

Regarding this important issue, official sources said, “The school dropout rate was primarily affected by the COVID pandemic, and the increasing trend has been continuing since then. We are taking the issue of dropouts, not only at the primary level but at all levels, very seriously. The daily attendance of students is now taken through the Siksha Setu Axom portal. If any particular student remains absent from school for more than one week, the responsibility for finding the reason behind it lies with the teachers and the school management committees. Efforts are taken to bring the student back to school.”

In Assam, the number of government or provincialized lower primary schools and institutes under the School Education Department is 33,937, of which 32,860 are in rural areas and 1,077 are in urban areas. Likewise, the total number of upper primary schools is 5,815, of which 5,511 are in rural areas and 294 are in urban areas, as per UDISE+ 2022–23.

 Also Read: NEP-2020: School dropout rates cut a sorry figure in Assam

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