Student dropout rises in 2021-22, highest in 3 urban districts

Chennai: Three districts namely Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Chennai have recorded the maximum number of student dropouts in the academic year 2021-22. However, due to timely intervention and periodic survey by the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), students have been readmitted, confirm officials.

In the current academic year, SSA under the School Education Department has managed to readmit 1.90 lakh students back to school in Tamil Nadu. However, as per the official data, the highest number of dropouts has been identified in Tiruvallur with 16,530 students, followed by Chengalpattu at 10,082 students and Chennai at 9,785 students.

Interestingly, the highest number of dropouts across all the districts in TN has been in classes 10, 11 and 12. Official data from SSA reveals that in 39 districts, the highest number of students’ dropout was recorded in Class 11 with 43,058 students, followed by 5,240 students in Class 10 and 1,115 students in class 12.

In Tiruvallur, 4,546 students dropped out from Classes 10, 11 and 12. In Chengalpattu, 2,234 students, and in Chennai, 2,329 students dropped out from all 3 classes respectively.

In 13 districts including Villupuram, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Madurai and Salem, over 5,000 students dropped out in the current academic year.

“We began monitoring dropout rates from November 2021. We compared the students’ attendance with the dropout number in each district. This vastly helped us trace them to provide intervention,” said an SSA official.

Education activist, PB Prince Gajendra Babu, pointed out that students from economically weaker backgrounds were forced to take up jobs to support their family, due to COVID-induced lockdown. “Of course, there were other factors too. Since Chennai and neighbouring districts have better employment opportunities, many would have migrated here from villages. Hence, certain districts show higher numbers.”