About 2,153 school dropouts out of 5,921 in Mysore district have been brought to the mainstream during a drive conducted recently. Out of the 2,153 children who have been enrolled, 949 are girls.
The highest number of dropouts – 1,320 - was identified in Mysore North Educational Block in Mysore city during a survey conducted by the Department of Public Instruction last year.
Number has gone up
A survey done in 2010 had put the number of dropouts at 2,530, implying the dropout rate has gone up over the years. The survey conducted in 2013 identified sibling care, cattle/sheep grazing and migration as the main reasons for children dropping out of school. The survey covered children in the age group of 6 to 14, said Deputy Project Officer of SSA Chandra Patil here on Friday.
He told reporters that 26 per cent of dropouts belonged to the Scheduled Tribe community, mostly from the tribal settlements of H.D. Kote and Hunsur taluks. The break up of dropouts identified in the taluks of Mysore is as follows: 1,320 in Mysore North, 898 in Nanjangud taluk, 741 in H.D. Kote, 771 in Hunsur, 453 in Periyapatna, 297 in K.R. Nagar, 452 in T. Narsipur and 673 in Mysore Rural. Mr. Patil said the heads of schools, as per a new directive, were supposed to meet the child and his/her parents if he or she does not turn up for school for seven days. Earlier, school authorities would intervene if the child remained absent for 60 days.
Educational coordinators have been designated as attendance officers to bring children back to schools, he added. Responding to reporters’ queries on the dropout survey, Mr. Patil said the survey covered households and schools to arrive at an accurate count. It was done jointly by representatives from the Department of Public Instruction and some NGOs.
TC not mandatory Mr. Patil clarified that transfer certificate (TC) was not mandatory for admission under the Right to Education Act. So children of migrant families can join other schools without collecting TCs from their previous schools, he said.
Five Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas residential schools have been opened in Mysore, T. Narsipur, Hunsur, Nanjangud and K.R. Nagar. There are about 100 girl children (potential dropouts and those from tribal settlements) in each school. About 377 dropouts among girls, who were brought to the mainstream, got admissions in these schools, according to Mr. Patil.
Also, a special school for children has been set up in Mysore. Over 271 such children were studying there. In addition, NGOs are running eight centres having facilities like de-addiction and counselling facility for children. After a 12-month course, the children are brought to the mainstream, he explained.
