SEBA ventures into open schooling to cut dropout rate

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, July 17: In a welcome initiative, the Secondary Education Board, Assam (SEBA), has launched special open schools to help students, who had been unsuccessful in clearing the high school fil examition in the past, as well as drop-outs to clear their first academic hurdle.

Under the initiative - christened 'State Institute of Open Schooling' - SEBA has opened learning centres in 17 district headquarters. More such centres would be opened phase-wise.

"Students who had been unsuccessful in the past five years or those who had to drop out of school for various reasons can join these centres. Classes will be held on Sundays. We will also provide text books and self learning materials," a SEBA official said.

The students will have to appear for the fil examition in five compulsory subjects and one optiol.

Examitions will be held in April-May. In case anyone cannot clear any subject, he or she will be given another chance at an examition to be held in October.

"The idea is to make the hurdle easier and broaden access to learning. There would be separate curriculum and prospectus for the course," said the official.

The first session of the open school will start from August 7 next.

Officials who will be engaged in the initiative have been given special training.

The pass percentage in this year's HSLC was 62.79. A total of 3,81,585 candidates had appeared for the examition of which 2,39,614 passed.