Over 1.3 lakh children dropped out of school from across the state, according to the data collated by the school education department during the ongoing out-of-school children survey. As part of the survey conducted for students up to 18 years of age, 4,04,088 students have been surveyed by 34,232 teachers, of which 1,38,821 students were not admitted to schools. A total of 9,175 students were enrolled in schools during the survey.
As per the survey, the dropout rates are high in districts like Salem, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri and Kanniyakumari. Officials from the school education department said that most number of the dropout children discontinued their education after Class 10 due to various reasons, including lack of interest in schools, health-related issues, lack of guidance, child marriages and child labour, apart from dropping out after failing in Class 10. The department was not able to reach a substantial amount of children due to migration (Published: The New Indian Express on 20th February 2023 04:50 AM)
Don Bosco Anbu Illam has been working on mitigation measures to reduce the dropout rate by conducting free dropout centres in Salem, Rasipuram, and Vennandhur areas. Students come to different centres to study 8th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades and we enable them to write the Government General Exam. This year from June till date we have educated 311 dropout students in all three centres. The main aim of this programme is to empower the school dropout students from the slums of Salem corporation city and from villages by providing quality education and equipping them with the necessary technical and employable skills to acquire a suitable job and make them live with self-dignity in society.
Besides coaching, we also provide training on communication, life skills, interpersonal relationship, exam techniques, and folk arts to develop their innate talents and enable them to grow in maturity. To enhance effective teaching & learning we have made a Smart class for the students for that we have fixed the Projector, computer, and speakers in the Dropout centres. Students studying in the Dropout Training Centres were given occasional insights to learn more about the current social situation and to face Society. Awareness is also being raised about early marriage.
Regular Parents Meetings were held to educate students’ parents on how students are studying at the dropout Training Centres, and their behaviour, and we have asked parents to follow the students to do their homework and make them study at home. Recently, Parents, Teachers & Students meetings were conducted in all the centres and they were happy and grateful. Fr. Casimir Raj.M sdb distributed the hall tickets and encouraged all the students to use this opportunity and achieve success in life and come out with flying colours.
