Lok Sabha Question No. 308 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-24
Subject: Dropout Rate in Schools
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 308 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.06.2019

## Dropout Rate in Schools

## 308. SHRI SHIVAKUMAR C. UDASI:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the high school dropout rate in the country;
- (b) if so, whether any survey has been conducted by the Government in this regard and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (c)  whether it is a fact that the percentage of school dropouts among Muslims and Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes is much higher than the national average; and
- (d) if so, the remedial steps taken/being taken by the Government to improve retention rate and minimize dropout rate in the country?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (c): Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE) collects information from all the schools (government, aided and private) annually on various educational indicators and is used to calculate drop-out rate across all States and UTs. As per U-DISE 2017-18 (provisional), the annual average dropout rate at primary level is 3.5% while it is 5% at upper primary level.

Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  has  commissioned  three  independent  surveys  to estimate out of school children in the country. These surveys were conducted in the years 2005, 2009  and  2014.  The  All  India  survey  of  Out  of  School  Children  in  6-13  years  age  group conducted in 2014 revealed that there are 60.64 lakh out of school children in this age group. The major  reasons  for  out  of  school  children  reported  in  the  survey  are  poverty/economic  reason, child  not  interested  in  studies,  child  suffering  with  some  disability  or  poor  health,  child  too young to be attending school, child needed to help in domestic work, education not considered necessary by the parents or Head of the household etc.

Annual Average Drop-out Rate for children belonging to SC, ST and Muslims is given below:

| Dropout Rate (in %)   | Dropout Rate (in %)   | Dropout Rate (in %)   | Dropout Rate (in %)   | Dropout Rate (in %)   | Dropout Rate (in %)   |
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| SC                    | SC                    | ST                    | ST                    | Muslim                | Muslim                |
| Primary               | Upper Primary         | Primary               | Upper Primary         | Primary               | Upper Primary         |
| 4.9                   | 6.6                   | 3.7                   | 6.1                   | 7.6                   | 8.5                   |

(As per UDISE-2017-18 Provisional)

(d): The  steps  taken  by  the Government  to  reduce  the  dropout  rate  include  inter-alia, strengthening of school infrastructure and facilities, residential hostel buildings for children in habitations not covered  by  regular  schools,  special training for out of school  children, provisioning for additional teachers, regular training of teachers and provision for free text books and uniforms to children. The Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme provides for setting up of residential schools for girls from SC, ST, OBC and Minority communities. Funding for these interventions  is  provided  by  the  Central  Government  under  the  Integrated  Scheme  for  School Education - Samagra Shiksha to the States and UTs. The Mid Day Meal Scheme is also being implemented with a view to enhance enrolment and retention of children in schools.

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