Survey across TN to identify govt school dropouts due to COVID

The State government has commenced door-to-door surveys across the State to identify school dropouts, especially from State-run institutions. This was earlier done within the Greater Chennai Corporation limits.

The survey would be conducted using a mobile application that has features to pull out specific information on potential dropouts and also geo-tag the survey activity.

Explaining the details of the effort, a senior official from the School Education Department said teachers and volunteers who would carry out the survey would have the mobile application in which they would enter details including the reasons for dropping out.

It was estimated that about 30,000 children might have dropped out of schools this year, especially due to COVID and lockdown, the official said, adding that special focus would be given to the immediate enrolment of the children identified during the survey.

“Due to the pandemic, it is likely that many children may have discontinued their studies, especially at the elementary (primary) and middle level schools,” he said. A sum of Rs 9 crore has been earmarked for the exercise.

The official added that before the pandemic, the retention rate for the State was 99.25 per cent at the primary, 98.6 per cent in upper primary and 96.75 per cent at secondary level.

“The retention rate might have reduced due to the closure of schools at the elementary level since March 2020. The district level education officers will not only ensure immediate enrolment of the dropouts identified during the survey, but also make sure that they attended physical classes when schools are reopened,” he said.

The government was expected to take a decision soon on reopening schools from the primary level, he said. “To encourage students, it was planned that all the welfare measures, including textbooks and other learning items, should reach them before the physical classes resumed,” the official added.

Special attention would also be paid on girl students in order to ensure that they continued education after primary and upper primary levels by establishing more hostels. “The government has also allocated Rs 11.72 crore in this regard,” he said.

Teachers and volunteers who would carry out the survey would have the mobile application in which they would enter details including the reasons for dropping out