NEP-2020: Low retention rate in state schools worrisome

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Assam is on the way to enter the NEP-2020 (New Education Policy) regime with a retention rate of schools much below the national average.

The ASSA (Assam Sarba Siksha Abhiyan) Mission, on the other hand, has already issued closure notice of 96 RSTCs (Residential Special Training Centres) from March 31, 2022. The ASSA has already closed some other educational schemes in the state. Against such a backdrop, the chances of arresting the school dropout rate in the state are slim.

According to information from United District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE)+ 2019-20, the retention rate in government schools in the state keeps falling from lower classes to higher classes. The UDISE+ report says the retention rate at the primary level in the state was 76.8 against the national rate of 86.97. The retention rate at the elementary level was 62.9 in the state against the national rate of 74.59. It was 39.47 at the secondary level in the state against the national rate of 59.55, and the retention rate at the higher secondary level in the state is just 17.24 against the national rate of 40.17.

Various central education authorities have tagged twelve districts of the state – Bongaigaon, Cachar, Darrang, Dhubri, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Morigaon, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Tinsukia – as backward in education.

The administrative process for NEP-2020 will start from January 2022, and the academic session will commence from 2022-23.

The Education department in the state will start the first phase of the Gunatsav from the first week of April 2022. What policy the State government will take to check the low retention rate in schools is something to keep tabs on.

Also Read:  Assam School Education System To Be Restructured as Part of NEP 2020

Also Watch: