Dropout rate higher among boys than girls in HP

Survey by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, reveals that the dropout rate among boys in the state is 6.20% while for girls it is 5.9%

While the government has been making efforts to improve the infrastructure of schools in the state, it has been unable to arrest to increasing the dropout rate among high schools students.

A survey conducted by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the agency responsible for the state of education, revealed that the drop-out rate among boys is higher than girls in the hill state.

The survey revealed that in 2015, 6.20% boys dropped out of Class 10th while the dropout rate among girls was 5.69.

While in 2014, the dropout rate was at 9.33 for boys and 8.85 for girls in high school.

The situation is quite pleasant in primary classes where the dropout rate is 0.46 for boys, 0.83 for girls.

Even though the survey is conducted on an annual basis, nothing has been down to tackle rising dropout ratio in higher classes.

“Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan compiles the data but it was never taken seriously by the state government or the Centre,” a senior government official, requesting anonymity said.

He said this data should be analysed school-wise or block wise.

“What are the reasons behind a student leaving school in Class 10 when better infrastructure is available,” he said.

However, the education department claims to have seen an improvement this year.

“For 2014, the dropout rate was 9.11, which has come down at 5.96 in 2015,” director (elementary education) Manmohan Sharma said.

The department cited various reasons behind the dropout rate.

“Sometimes a student gets a job soon after Class 10 and in rural areas most students shift to public schools after completing 10th,” an education department officer said.

However, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has no area specific plan to improve the retention rate.

It is observed that dropout rate is concerning in Chamba 12.18, Kinnaur 10.63, Lahaul and Spiti 16.96 and Sirmaur 13.30.

“Both tribal districts have high dropout rate in secondary classes,” an education official said.

“We don’t have area specific plan to tackle dropout rate. We have limited ourselves to data collecting agency of the government. But retention rate in Himachal is far better than other states,” an Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan officer said, requesting anonymity.

We don’t have area specific plan to tackle dropout rate. But the retention rate in Himachal is far better than other states. SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN OFFICIAL