Dropout Rates

Dropout rate is defined as the proportion of children that cease to remain enrolled in the schooling system. There are a number of methods for estimating dropout rate. One of them, followed in the Selected Education Statistics (SES) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, is as follows:
·Gross dropout rates for classes (I-V) = {1-(Enrolment in Class V during the reference year divided by the enrolment in Class I four years ago)}*100.
·Gross dropout rates for classes (I-VIII) = {1-(Enrolment in Class VIII during the reference year
divided by the enrolment in Class I seven years ago)}*100.

Details of year/stage-wise gross dropout rates generally indicates two points
one the reducing trend of dropout rates, both at the primary and upper primary stages and
two, a near-gender neutrality among the dropout rates. The major limitation in the process of such calculation is that is does not take into account the repetition and transfer of children.


Data collected through DISE provides repeaters’ enrolment, class/sex-wise. Two consecutive years’ data thus collected can be used to generate a reconstructed cohort which is much more appropriate to estimate the dropout rates. Moreover, DISE data are school-wise. Using such data for the schools which remained common in two consecutive years, a new database has been generated and the dropout rates are calculated#. This suggests that the dropout rates were 15% in 2002-03 which reduced to 13% in 2003-04 and further reduced to 12% in 2004-05. Although the trend is encouraging, concerted efforts would be needed to ensure further reduction.

Drop-out Rates at Primary and Upper Primary Levels, 1999-2000 to 2004-05

Promotion, repetition and dropout rates in 02-03, 03-04 and 04-05
Promo : Promotion, Repeat : Repitition, Drop : Drop out

#This has been called Average Dropout Rate (by NIEPA). It may be noted that this is not the commonly used “Cohort Dropout Rate” which would be higher than this ‘Average Dropout Rate’.

Why do India's children drop out of school?

Contrary to popular sentiment, the nonavailability of schooling facilities seems to account for only 10 - 15% of India's out-of-school children.

A much larger percentage of children are never enrolled in school simply because, according to reports, they and/or their parents are "not interested".

A large percentage of children are unable to take advantage of nearby educational facilities because they are needed at home to participate in the basic tasks of the household economy. Many children who are not in school are instead working eight hours or more daily; moreover, these children are not earning any significant income, as they have been relegated to tasks such as caring for their siblings, or tending grazing cattle, rather than being involved in jobs that would permit them to earn wages.

A considerable proportion of urban dropouts cite "failure to pass examinations" as their reason for discontinuance of education.

Drop outs : NGO Interventions

Reach India - Prayas
1. Project Summary: The project will build capacities of 6 grassroots NGOs in Delhi. Prayas will strengthen capacities of NGOs with a focus on basic educational service delivery of at-risk children, through the Prayas model of Alternative Education. The project will help create a network for advocacy and policy impact for the welfare of street and working children.
2. Objectives:The project aims to:
Adapt the approaches developed by Prayas for implementation through 6 grassroots NGOs

Build capacity of 6 NGOs in the areas of educational service management, quality enhancement and skill development.

Mainstream about 3900 children.

Promote advocacy and networking for goal achievement that impact mainstream policies of the government.

3. Methodology: The project's key components include:
Identify and select 6 NGOs through spelt out criteria, document review, field appraisal, outreach and evaluation.

Build capacities of the selected 6 NGOs, based on the Prayas model of juvenile justice, encompassing conceptual issues, NGO management and strategies, community mobilization, mainstreaming, collaboration with NIOS, and networks for policy impact.

Assessing outcome of the capacity building exercise based on identified criteria.

Releasing grants, monitoring and evaluating the programmes and assisting in documentation.

Influencing policy changes through networks, seminars and regular interaction with the government.

4. Target audience: Out of school and working children, their families, local self governance institutions, state and central government and civil society, and NGOs
5. Outcomes: It is expected that capacity of at least 6 NGOs to bring about changes to impart quality education in alternative education centres and influence policy will increase. Children will be mainstreamed into formal schools or take the NIOS. Direct enrolment of 1800 children into formal schools will take place. There will be a lasting impact on policy makers and their sensitization towards the needs of at-risk children. Creation of a forum of interaction and problem solving, comprising of parents, community members, schoolteachers and principals and government officials will materialize.
6. About Prayas: Prayas is a voluntary organization formed in 1988 with the specific objective of rehabilitating marginalized and deprived children. Set up in collaboration with Delhi Police, Delhi School of Social Work (Delhi University) and Shramik Vidya Peeth, the organization visualizes a nation where every child goes to school, or is provided with holistic treatment including health care and shelter. Prayas is currently working in the states of Delhi, Bihar and Gujarat and addresses the needs of more than 50,000 less privileged children.
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Azim Premji Foundation - Bangalore :The Government of Karnataka has launched the ‘Back-to-school’ movement in November 2002.
The objective of this movement is to bring back approximately 5.62 lakh out-of-school children, back to school through Bridge Course and Remedial Teaching initiatives.
The programme involves teachers, education officers, volunteers etc to visit all the homes in the villages every Monday and motivate the parents to send their children to school daily.

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Vivekananda Ashram
The Vivekananda Ashram runs a boarding house for 14 children in grades 4 through 12. Many of the boarders have lost one or both their parents. These children go to the schools in the nearby areas and the Ashram provides for all their expenses. In addition, the Ashram runs classes during the day for about 150 children from the surrounding areas. In these classes, the students are assisted in their studies by voluntary teachers.

The area where the project operates is rural and many of the students are first generation learners. If it were not for the Ashram, the boarding students would possibly not have come into the sphere of education at all, and among the day students, many would have found the general school curriculum so daunting that they would have dropped out of school. It is in this regard that the project has been very successful.

The day school was started with 78 students in August, 2000 and it has already grown to more than 150 with a constant demand for a fresh intake. For 2002, the project's basic budget requirement is Rs. 92,000 ($1,916 @ Rs.48/$). In addition, there is a proposal for meal for 160 day scholars and an educational tour for the 14 boarders ($1,576), and providing text books to 60 of the day scholars and nominal salaries to 16 teachers ($2,550). This gives rise to a total requirement of $6,042.
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Society for Peoples Research, Environmental Affairs and Developmental Service

Location : Chittoor, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh.

SPREADS concentrates on strengthening mainstream education in 10 villages, by providing supplementary education, building community organizations that take interest in the functioning of the local schools.

The organization is currently working with 557 students in these 10 villages. All children below the age of 10 are in schools in these villages. Children are working hard to qualify in the state level exams for residential school.
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Setwin Society
The project focuses on the primary school dropouts or the belated enrollment of children in the age range of 5-12 years. These children belong to the Paraiyar and Sakkilar castes who are also called as dalits. At the beginning of the proposed project, we will open 10 basic Non Formal Centers at 10 villages with a minimum of 20 children per center. After assessing of the progress of these centers, we will extend the same to another 10 villages next year and gradually cover all of our service site which comprises of about 50 hamlets. The objective of the project is twofold-
(1) To reintegrate children who have dropped out due to familial/economic pressures back into mainstream schooling
(2) To encourage a habit of schoolgoing in those villages so remote as to not have access to any mainstream schools.
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SACSAS Academy
One of the main reasons why children of low income family stop going to school or do not go to school at all is because many of their parents do not send them to school for they want to use them to make money for their livelihood, or schools are far and there is no means of transportation to go to schools in neighboring villages. If the children do not have a habit of going to school right from the beginning they will not tell / urge their parents to send them to school. That is how they end up being illiterate. Generally the illiterate parents never feel the importance of getting their children quality education.

The first unit of SACSAS Academy was opened on the 10th of May 2003 at Yaoshulakpa (Laishoi) Branch of Moirang, Manipur. Leishoi is a village where there is no school at all. The guardian of the locality had been trying hard to have at least an Anganwadi branch or any form of school from the state government but the effort was all in vain. They have four teachers to take care of 35 downtrodden children. We are overwhelmed at the response of the parents of the village.

Drop outs : Corporate Interventions

Education : BILT, Gadchiroli
In 2004 BILT with the partnership of a regional Ngo called ‘Sankalp Bahuuddeshiya Sanstha’ initiated education activity for the children aging to 3 to 16 years. The main purpose of this activity is to reach out the children lagging behind or out of school. At present the programme covers more than 3500 children through its various activities such as read to learn, learn to read and library. This programme is run by 35 local youth, most of whom are college going or 10th pass. Through the intervention the project is succeeded to improve the basic reading & numerical skills of the children participated in this programme
At community level Sankalpa is also involved in strengthening the local Education Committees by creating an awareness of their rights and responsibilities. Through this committees the project has also succeed in restarting a school in one of the tribal village of the project area. The school was closed for the last four years due to lack of interest of local education functionaries, and people of the villages.
The outcome of the awareness programme with Education committees can also be seen in one of the incidence where these Committees have succeeded in convincing the government to provide a ramp to the school for handicapped children. Due to constant follow-up by the project and Committee this demand was fulfilled. Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan government has initiated the construction of ramps in 6 villages of the project area.
Area : Ashti, Gadchiroli District, State-Maharashtra
Partner NGO: Sankalp Bahuuddeshiya Sanstha

Education : BILT, Koraput
In Non Formal Education (NFE) centers, we motivate the school dropouts, rekindling their interest and help them join the mainstream schools. We provide training to teachers on joyful learning techniques. The total number of children enrolled in these centers is 300, out of which we successfully enrolled 137 students into the mainstream schools.
Area : Jeypore Block, Koraput District, State - Orissa
Partner NGO : Harsha Trust, Bhubaneswar & Pratham, Orissa

Education : BILT, Warangal
Primary Education for Drop Outs & Out of School Children
Area : Kamalapuram, Warangal District, State - Andhra Pradesh
Partner NGO: Pratham

Dabur : Non-Formal Education
Dabur provides education to those children in the age group of 6-14 years who are either dropouts or they had not been to the school. Finally these children are linked with the formal school.
Remedial Education
Dabur provides coaching classes for the school going children who are weak in studies and no body in the family assists them in studies.

ICICI Bank
Gyan Shala is a response to the high dropout rate that afflicts the primary education system in India. According to the 52nd round of the National Sample Survey, a large number of the children dropout due to academic failure and a lack of interest in studies. Further, a large part of this dropout occurs between classes 1-3. In such a scenario, Gyan Shala has been conceptualised as a programme that incorporates innovative pedagogical and curricular practices, and a unique organisational system of teacher education and academic support for children in classes 1,2 and 3 such that at the end of these three years a strong foundation is provided to children for their subsequent admittance to primary and upper primary classes. The children attending Gyan Shala classes are brought to a level of competence that would enable them to join a municipal school in class 4. These competencies are tested in an entrance test before enrolling children from Gyan Shala classes into municipal schools.