Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Assam continues to grapple with a worrying trend in school education as the state recorded the second-highest dropout rate at the secondary level, the third-highest at the upper primary level, and the fourth-highest at the primary level in the country in 2023-24.
Union Minister of State for Education Jayanta Chaudhary informed the Lok Sabha of this recently, replying to a query. The minister gave this information based on the data released by UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus).
As per the data, Assam reported a staggering 25.1 percent dropout rate at the secondary level, 6.2 percent at the primary level, and 8.2 percent at the upper primary level in 2023-24, significantly above the national averages of 1.9 percent (primary), 5.2 percent (upper primary), and 14.1 percent (secondary).
In 2022-23, Assam reported dropout rates of 29.5 percent at the secondary level against the 16.4 percent national average, 10.3 percent at the upper primary level against the 8.1 percent national average, and 8.5 percent at the primary level against the 7.8 percent national average. Even in 2021-22, the figures were concerning, with 20.25 percent at the secondary level against the 12.61 percent national average, 8.82 percent at the upper primary level against the 3.02 percent national average, and 6.02 percent at the primary level against the 1.45 percent national average.
Compared to Assam, many states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi reported considerably lower dropout rates, highlighting the disparity in educational outcomes.
The Assam government has implemented various schemes such as “Gunotsav,” free textbooks, mid-day meals, and scholarships to reduce dropout rates. However, the latest data suggests that these efforts need to be revisited and strengthened with a more targeted approach, especially for secondary education.
As the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises universal access to education up to the secondary level, Assam’s dropout figures present a serious challenge to achieving that goal.
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