Tamil Nadu’s secondary school dropout rate at 7%, shows Union Ministry data

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| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

While Tamil Nadu’s school dropout rate has come down to 0% at the primary and middle school levels, the dropout rate at the secondary level is at 7%, according to data from the Union Ministry of Education. Although the dropout rate has been declining in recent years — falling from 10.3% in 2022-23 to 7.7% — activists argue that motivation and incentives are necessary to retain students at the secondary level.

The data presented by the Ministry during the Lok Sabha session shows that the dropout rate at the secondary level has fluctuated from a low of 4% in 2021-22 to 7% in 2023-24. Tamil Nadu’s rate is higher than both the national average of 10.9%, according to a UDISE report, and the global school dropout average of 13%, as per a UNESCO report.

The data also shows that the dropout rate among boys is consistently higher than that of girls, with 10.8% of boys dropping out at the secondary level, compared to 4.4% of girls, in 2023-24. In 2014-15, the dropout rate for boys was 16.1%, while that for girls was 8%.

In an effort to ensure that students continued their education, the School Education department tracked long-absent students through the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) and counselled them. They also tracked such students through the out-of-school survey.

P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System, Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN), said the reasons for the dropout vary. “Many opt to go to Industrial Training Institutes. There are cases of child marriage and children migrating, which could result in school dropouts. The government must work with the local bodies to track and counsel them, as motivation for students to pursue education is crucial,” he said.

Further stating that incentives were necessary to retain children in schools, he added that the breakfast and lunch schemes needed to be extended to the higher classes too. “As Class X onwards, students have to face public exams and there might be study hours. A provision for evening snacks with localised foods will help students continue their education in the higher classes too,” he said.