Around 10K Odisha students dropped Matric exam owing to hardship!

Approximately 10,000 students failed to attend their matriculation examinations in Odisha this year despite registering to appear them. These youngsters, hailing from various regions that span coastal to remote districts, have encountered difficulties that extend beyond the academic realm, sources said on Monday.

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In a sense, school dropout prevention drive has gone for a toss in the State.

While some have migrated to outside the State in search of work to support their families, others at home are working as daily-wagers to meet parents’ household expenses.

Astonishing facts on students failing to appear Matric exams

The examinations, which commenced on February 21, incorporated dynamic QR codes to deter malpractices; however, this measure has scarcely impacted the dropout rates. Out of the 5,22,336 students who registered, about 5,12,300 students participated, leaving nearly 10,000 absent from the first-day exam.

Rabi Chhamia, from a village in Rayagada district’s Kalyanpur block, is one of the many students who had to prioritise earnings over education, as his father was preoccupied herding goats to fund his ailing mother's medical treatments.

In Nabarangpur’s Umerkote, Parbati had to forsake her exams for employment in a brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh, prompted by the dire agricultural situation at home. When she returned home today, two of her exams were already over.

The issue is pronounced in Kendrapara's Rajnagar block, where 14 of the total 63 students opted for income-generating activities over exams. Similar patterns are evident in schools at Jharigaon of Nabarangpur district, and Bolangir as well, which witnessed at least 545 and 742 absentees respectively, as students migrated for employment opportunities.

A parents’ outfit in Odisha expressed frustration with the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) and the State government for inadequately addressing the causes of such absences. Bolangir, Keonjhar, and Balasore districts record the highest numbers of students missing their matriculation exams.

The State’s Director of Secondary Education has pledged an investigation into the absences, and directives have been issued to board officials and district education officers.

“Around 10,000 students had also dropped the matriculation exams, last year. We had then demanded before the State government to place the bio-data of these students. Details could have been known as to who dropped the exams and why,” noted educationist Amiya Mohanty said to OTV.

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“After an outcry gradually cooled down, the Government remained silent. Again the same thing has happened this year. Basically speaking, no one has an accountability in the education system,” educationist Mohanty added.