Over one-third tribal boys in Odisha leave studies in secondary level
According Odisha Economic Survey Report 2023-24, Odisha currently has high overall dropout rate in secondary education (27.3%) and exit of students at this scale in secondary education restricts their ability to earn respectful livelihood for themselves
Higher secondary school students return back home riding their bicycle from a nearby government school at Athamalik in Angul district of Odisha.
| Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
A significantly higher number of tribal and Dalit boys have dropped out of residential schools compared to their girl counterparts in the State’s residential schools, according to the Odisha Economic Survey Report 2023-24 that was presented in the State Assembly on Wednesday.
“School dropout among ST and SC communities is higher than State dropout rate at upper primary and secondary level. This is interesting to see that across social categories, dropout rate is higher among boys,” points out the survey report.
Odisha has 1,737 residential schools and 5,500 hostels, which cater to 4.5 lakh ST and SC students, including 2.75 lakh girl students, across primary, secondary, and senior secondary levels of education. Ironically, girls constitute 61.11% of total enrolment among tribal and Dalit students. The number of boys studying in these schools is less than 40%.
By the time tribal boys reach the secondary level, over one-third of them drop out of school. Specifically, the dropout rate among tribal boys at this level is 35.3%, compared to 30.9% for tribal girls. At the upper primary level, the dropout rate among tribal boys is 9.8%, while it is 7.7% among girls.
Among students belonging to Scheduled Castes, 33% boys don’t pursue education in secondary level in comparison to 29.4% girls. The dropout among boys and girls in upper primary level is 8.5% and 7.8%.
As per the Economic Survey report, the State government is providing scholarships to SC/ST students to offer financial support to continue education. “The State has released a total of ₹762.4 crore for pre-matric scholarships in 2023-24. Similarly, a total of ₹473.68 crore was released towards post-matric scholarships,” it informs.
As many as 1,737 residential schools including 62 upgrade higher secondary schools, 234 high schools (co-education), 188 girls high schools, 739 ashram schools, 467 Sevashrams and 32 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are functioning in the State.
There are concerns about higher dropout rate in secondary education. Odisha currently has high dropout rate in secondary education (27.3%). Exit of students at this scale in secondary education restricts their ability to earn respectful livelihood for themselves and makes them vulnerable to low-income opportunities in the future, it says.
“Odisha has high proportion of trained teachers at secondary school level (95.6%) and improved pupil-teacher ratio. Despite this, dropout rate at secondary education level is high. There is a need to identify factors behind high dropout rate in secondary education,” observes the survey report.
Apart from widespread dropout in higher secondary classes, gross enrolment ratio is 43.6% against the target of 100%. Similarly, gross enrolment ratio for higher education is only 22.1% of pupils in the age group of 18-23 as against the target of 50%.
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