Primary school drop-out rate in Odisha reduced significantly

Odisha government today claimed to have successfully reduced the drop-out rate in primary schoool level to 1.97 per cent from the 36.03 per cent in 2002-2003.
School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra announced this while replying to a question in the Assembly.
"While the drop-out rate in primary level is 1.97 per cent, it is 2.4 per cent in upper primary level and 16.49 per cent in high school level," Mishra said.
Stating that the drop-out rate in primary school level in Odisha was much better than the national level, which stood at 4.67 per cent.
Replying to a question of BJP member Dilip Ray, the minister said Odisha's drop-out rate in primary level was much better than neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh (3.18 per cent) and West Bengal (6.3 Per cent).

However, BJD's Amar Satpathy and many other MLAs suspected the government's data on drop-out in primary level. "The state government should take the actual attendance of students into consideration instead of accepting the figures from the mid-day-meal data," Satpathy said.

On the high rate of drop-out in high school level, Mishra said of the 16.49 per cent, 14.61 per cent were girls.
Of the total girl students dropping out in the high school level, Mishra said 16.34 per cent were scheduled caste girls and 19.02 per cent belong to scheduled tribe community.
"We have been taking steps to check drop out rates through Sarva Sikshya Abhijan, Rastriya Madhamik Sikshya Abhijan and other schemes," Mishra said.

He said the state government has identified 13 reasons behind drop outs from primary level to high school level.
While distance between residence and school is one of the major factors, household works, physical deficiencies, poverty, lack of interest of parents and lack of awareness are some of the reasons behind students dropping out of the schools in the mid way.
Adolescent problem is also one of the major reasons behind girls dropping out of the school education, the minister pointed out.