85% Of India's School Dropouts Are From 11 States: Education Ministry

June 29, 2023, 10:46 a.m.

The Ministry of Education has recently identified certain challenges in an assessment of latest class X and class XII exam results. These challenges include a significant variation in pass percentages across education boards. The assessment also found that the presence of different board syllabuses has created obstacles for students in national-level entrance tests.

According to sources, 11 states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh witnessed 85% of school dropouts. The attributing factors for this percentage are assumed to be a shortage of trained teachers, a low teacher-to-school ratio as well as difference in syllabus across education boards.

Dropouts and difference in pass percentages also contribute to a lower Gross Enrolment Ratio and affect the county’s overall ranking in global education indices.

To address these challenges, the report recommends aligning the Science syllabus of state boards with central boards, aiming for a level playing field for common exams like NEET and JEE.

The report highlights a concerning statistics, stating that around 35 lakh students of the country do not proceed from class X to class XI, with 27.5 lakh students failing and 7.5 lakh students not appearing for the board exam.