Over 1,800 dropouts re-enrolled in school comeback drive in Odisha’s Malkangiri

More than 1,800 dropouts have been re-enrolled by the Malkangiri district administration in the school comeback drive so far, official sources said on Wednesday.

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In a major push to eradicate illiteracy and school dropouts, the Odisha government has rolled out a large-scale re-enrolment initiative under the ambitious ‘Back to School’ programme, spearheaded by Odisha State Open Schooling.

Children who either dropped out or never enrolled are being identified and given a second chance for education.

The district administration has already set up camps across different blocks to register out-of-school children. As part of the initiative, students above the age of 14 who had to quit studies midway can now directly appear for the Class 10 board examination.

This bold step aims to reintegrate older students swiftly into mainstream education.

Real-life stories from Kenduguda village show the impact. Sudarshan Jani, who left school after Class 8 due to poverty, had been working in the fields with his father. Similarly, Kumari Muduli dropped out after Class 5 for financial reasons. Both have now re-enrolled, thanks to the government's renewed focus.

According to the district education office (DEO), 8,111 children have been identified—6,075 of whom had dropped out, while 2,036 had never attended school. So far, 1,897 students have re-enrolled, rekindling hope among families for a better future.

The initiative also includes weekend classes (on Saturdays and Sundays) for older students, while younger children are placed in age-appropriate grades for daily classes. Special camps are being held in each panchayat to facilitate the process.

"The financial condition of my family was not stable, for which I had left my studies midway. Now the government has given us one more chance to study,” Kumari Muduli said.

“My sister had discontinued her studies. Inspired by the re-enrolment scheme of the State government, I have brought her to the camp. I thank the government for this initiative. Children will now study and build their future,” Kumari’s elder sister expressed.