Patna: A preliminary report by Bihar’s Education Department has raised concerns over student retention after primary education, showing that 28% of children leave school while moving beyond Class 5.
According to the report, some of these students return to school later through enrolment campaigns. However, around 9% of children leave the education system completely.
The findings, which are yet to be finalised, show a deterioration from the previous year, when 22% of students moving to secondary classes were reported to have left school at the transition stage.
Sharp Decline After Primary Education
The preliminary report found that student dropout rates are lower during the primary stage but increase sharply as children move to higher classes.
Between Classes 1 and 5, around 3% of students leave school each year, according to the report. However, the transition from Class 5 to Class 6 has emerged as a major area of concern.
Last year’s UDISE data cited in the report showed that the transition rate beyond the primary stage was 99.9%, while the corresponding figure for secondary education was 78%. The transition rate for higher classes was 74%.
Special Campaign to Bring Children Back
The Education Department has treated the declining enrolment in higher classes as a challenge and prepared an action plan to address it.
Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari said a special campaign was under way to bring back children who had missed enrolment or left school.
He said the campaign was being monitored from the state headquarters, while officials were also examining problems faced by children and their parents. The government was working to reduce both dropout and transition gaps, he added.
Enrolment Allowed Until September
As part of the effort to improve student retention, the department has allowed enrolment in secondary classes until September.
Children who have not enrolled because of any reason will be given another opportunity to join school during the extended enrolment period.
The initiative is intended to ensure that children who miss admission at the start of the academic cycle are able to return to formal education.
Awareness, Poverty and Distance Among Key Concerns
Education experts quoted in the report said several factors could contribute to children leaving school, particularly after primary education.
They pointed to a lack of awareness among parents, poverty and the greater distance of secondary schools from some rural communities.
Retired official and educationist Vinodanand Jha said schools also needed to do more to attract and retain students, adding that authorities should examine whether facilities being provided in schools were reaching the children for whom they were intended.
The Education Department is expected to finalise the preliminary report after further assessment of enrolment and transition data.
