‘Primary level dropout 4.13% in 2014-15’

New Delhi:  The annual average dropout rate at the primary school level in the country was 4.13 per cent in 2014-15, the government said on Thursday. The dropout rate for the boys at the primary level during this period was 4.36 per cent and for the girls was 3.88 per cent, according to data provided by HRD minister Prakash Javadekar during the Question hour.

According to the data provided by Javadekar, the dropout rate in upper primary level for 2014-15 was 4.03 percent while the same for secondary level was 17.06 percent. He said that many cases of children dropping out took place at the ninth class level due to the no detention policy. Exams are held in class IX and students do not know much, the minister said, observing that many schools had just become mid-day meal schools where children came, had a meal and left while their education suffered.

To solve this problem, the ministry had brought in learning outcomes and training had also been provided to 15 lakh teachers trained, he said. Members belonging to various parties had raised questions regarding the dropout rate including those related to the reasons due to which girls stop attending school. 

Javadekar said non-availability of separate toilets for girls was a major reason and the Modi government in its first year took steps to resolve this issue. Javadekar also said that while there was no shortage of teachers in the country, there existed deployment issues which resulted in lack of skilled teachers in certain places.

 He said these issues would be discussed in a forthcoming CABE committee meeting.  To a question on teachers not going to schools, he said that measures like marking their presence through electronic means were being taken.  Javadekar said all schools in Rajasthan have been mapped and there was a primary school everywhere within one kilometre range.