Guwahati 4th March: Despite concerted efforts by the government to address educational challenges, dropout rates in state-run primary schools across Assam have witnessed a concerning upward trend in recent years, as highlighted in the latest Economic Survey.
Education, recognized as a pivotal component for achieving balanced social and fiscal development, faces hurdles as dropout rates continue to escalate. The Economic Survey for 2023-24 reveals that the average annual dropout rate in lower primary (LP) schools surged to 8.49% in the fiscal year 2022-23. This represents a significant increase from 6.02% in 2021-22, 4.3% in 2019-20, and 3.1% in 2018-19, as reported by the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE).
Similarly, dropout rates in upper primary (UP) schools also exhibited a troubling rise, reaching 10.33% in 2022-23 compared to 8.81% in the previous fiscal year.
Despite these challenges, the transition rate from primary to upper primary schools remains at 89.7%.
South Salmara district reported the highest dropout rate for LP schools at 22.52% in the last financial year, followed by Karimganj at 14.54%, while Sivasagar recorded the lowest rate at 4.02%. In the upper primary level, South Salmara again reported the highest dropout rate at 32.39%, whereas Sivasagar had the lowest at 4.03%.
Assam’s educational landscape comprises 33,937 government and provincialized LP schools, predominantly in rural areas, along with 5,815 upper primary schools, with a majority located in rural settings.
Despite the concerning rise in dropout rates, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) has shown an upward trajectory. In elementary schools (Class 1 to 8), the GER increased from 107.4% in 2019-20 to 109.8% in 2021-22. However, the GER for secondary schools (Class 9-10) remained steady at around 74% over the same period. Notably, the GER for senior secondary schools increased from 30.9% in 2020-21 to 40.1% in 2021-22.
Recognizing the pivotal role of education in fostering economic growth, the government has implemented various schemes aimed at enhancing educational development. Notably, over 46.6 lakh students were provided with free textbooks at the onset of the academic year 2023-24, reflecting ongoing efforts to promote accessible education across Assam.
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