The Odisha government seems to have eventually woken up from its deep slumber and launched a 5-point yojana to bring dropout students back to schools.
The news of over 43,000 students being absent from appearing for Matric examination recently caught headlines and created ripples across the State.
Investigation revealed that several circumstances forced the students to drop their study mid way.
“I want to go to school. But the hurdle is the poor financial condition of my family,” said a dropout student, Padman Goud, Bhanjanagar.
The attendance percentage in classes from I to V in Malkangiri, Boudh, Gajapati, Sambalpur and Nuapara districts is below 70 percent. The same in classes from VI to VIII is again below 70 percent.
In case of Class IX and X, the attendance percentage in 13 districts is far below the State average. Surprisingly enough, Cuttack and Khordha are also among the 13 districts.
Similarly, the percentage of attendance of Plus II students in districts like Gajapati, Sonepur, Bargarh, Kandhamal and Nuapara is painting a gloomy picture.
In order to get the dropouts back to schools, the government has launched a 5-point yojana.
“In our district, around 6,200 students are yet to return to schools. We will visit each and every village to create awareness among parents to send their children to schools,” said Rayagada Collector Saroj Mishra.
“An initiative has been taken under which the teachers would visit from door to door, discuss with the parents and students and convince the parents to send their children to schools,” informed School and Mass Education Minister, Samir Ranjan Dash on Saturday.