Untrained teachers & dropout; Assam cuts a sorry figure

Guwahati: Assam has cut a sorry figure before the PAB (Project Approval Board) of the Union Ministry of Education in regards to untrained teachers and the school-dropout rate.

At the meeting held recently between the PAB and officials of Samagra Siksha, Assam, it has come to the fore that there are 39,276 untrained teachers in the government secondary schools across Assam. These teachers don't meet the requisite professional qualification.

Taking the plight of teachers' training into consideration, the PAB has suggested to the State government that it may prepare an action plan to conduct the requisite training for teachers.

The situation is no different in the retention and the dropout rates of students in the State. While the retention rate is 58 per cent at the elementary level, the rate of dropout is 45 per cent at the secondary level.

According the PAB, there have been sharp dropouts at the secondary level in the State.

In order to improve the enrolment and to minimize the dropout rate among the girl students, the PAB has suggested to the State government to ensure one functional separate girls' toilet in each school. It has also advised the State government to conduct a study and submit the report showing the dropout rate of girl students in school where not a single functional separate girl toilet is available.

It has also come to the notice of the PAB that "the State government has not been able to meet the targeted girls' enrolment in the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) in the State".

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