Odisha to upgrade 100 high schools to contain dropout rate

Odisha government plans to upgrade 100 high schools to higher secondary schools from the next academic session to contain dropout rate, a measure of social development.

Published on: Aug 3, 2022, 19:47:48 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Odisha government plans to upgrade 100 high schools to higher secondary schools from the next academic session to contain dropout rate, a measure of social development.

School and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said the steps to upgrade schools would be carried out in the blocks where higher secondary schools exist.

“Students often tend to drop out after passing matriculation either because many schools do not have Plus II or due to the absence of colleges in close proximity. Upgrading schools to higher secondary by including Plus II will also benefit girl students,” said Dash. As per latest data available, the dropout rate was 16.06 per cent in Odisha as against the national average of 16.1 per cent.

In 2020-21, more than 49,000 students had dropped out of school before entering higher secondary level, including 15,792 tribal and 11,045 students from the Scheduled Caste category. A survey by the Women and Child development department had found that 7,717 adolescent girls (in the age group of 11 to 14 years) had dropped out of school in the 2021-22 academic session. In 2019-20, 8,168 students had dropped out after secondary school. Dash said apart from benefiting the students, the move would play a significant role in containing the dropout rate in the state.

The move to upgrade these schools comes amid criticism from different quarters for the high dropout rate. The state government came under criticism from several quarters following reports that over 43,000 students abstained from appearing for the matriculation examination conducted this year.

A five-point programme was then mooted to bring back these students to schools. Under the plan, teachers are required to undertake door-to-door visits and hold discussions with the parents and students. The move aimed at convincing the parents to send their children to school.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Get latest updates on NIRF Ranking along with Education and updates on other Board Exams and Competitive Exams at Hindustan Times. Also get latest Job updates on Employment News.