More than one-third of tribal boys in Odisha drop out of school at the secondary level.
According to the Odisha Economic Survey Report 2023-24, Odisha currently has a high overall dropout rate in secondary education (27.3%). The exit of students at this scale in secondary education restricts their ability to earn a respectable livelihood for themselves.
Arpit Pattnaik
The Odisha Economic Survey Report 2023-24, presented in the State Assembly, revealed that a higher number of tribal and Dalit boys are dropping out of residential schools compared to girls. The report highlights that the dropout rate among boys from ST and SC communities is higher than the overall state dropout rate at upper primary and secondary levels. Interestingly, the dropout rate is higher among boys across all social categories.
In Odisha, there are 1,737 residential schools and 5,500 hostels catering to 4.5 lakh ST and SC students, including 2.75 lakh girl students. Surprisingly, girls make up 61.11% of the total enrollment among tribal and Dalit students, while the number of boys studying in these schools is less than 40%.
At the secondary level, over one-third of tribal boys drop out of school, with a dropout rate of 35.3%, compared to 30.9% for tribal girls. Similarly, among students belonging to Scheduled Castes, 33% of boys don’t pursue education at the secondary level, in comparison to 29.4% of girls.
To address this issue, the State government is providing scholarships to SC/ST students for financial support. In 2023-24, the State released a total of ₹762.4 crore for pre-matric scholarships and ₹473.68 crore for post-matric scholarships.
Despite a high proportion of trained teachers at the secondary school level (95.6%) and an improved pupil-teacher ratio, the dropout rate at the secondary education level in Odisha is still high. The report emphasizes the need to identify factors behind the high dropout rate in secondary education.
Furthermore, the report raises concerns about the high dropout rate in secondary education, which currently stands at 27.3%. It mentions that this trend limits students' ability to secure respectful livelihoods for themselves and makes them vulnerable to low-income opportunities in the future.
Lastly, the report points out that the gross enrollment ratio for higher secondary and higher education is significantly below the target levels, indicating a need for further intervention to address these challenges.
