Jajpur: The much-touted programme, ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ (SSA) has become a cropper in the mining and rural areas here with over 13,000 children dropping out of schools in several blocks of this district, a report said. The alarming situation of education in the mineral-rich district came to light in the Unified District Information System for Education plus (UDISE+) report. The block education officers (BEOs) concerned have been directed by the district education officer (DEO) Nibedita Pani to take appropriate measures to identify ‘fake’ students enrolled in state-run schools.
However, there are concerns that the Education Department is failing to get students back to school again. As per the UDISE+ report, most of the dropouts come under the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories. The report said, that these children after leaving their studies are forced to work as agricultural and contractual labourers and take up odd jobs in country liquor shops and garages. As a result, they are also mentally and physically vulnerable to adverse effects of their surroundings. Social activist Mantu Das had filed a PIL (No-1729/2023) In this regard before the Orissa High Court bringing to its notice how the school dropouts are deprived of their basic rights of education, nutritious food and healthcare. After hearing the matter in January 24 last year, the High Court ordered the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) to take up an investigation in this regard and rehabilitate the dropouts properly.
However, if local sources are to be believed, nothing much has happened despite more than a year going by since the High Court’s directive. Local intelligentsia meanwhile are of the opinion that if the factors behind the dropouts are not identified and addressed, the malady will continue unabated. A district-level review meeting, presided over by Pani, was conducted January 12 where it came to the fore that Jajpur district has a total of 13,010 school dropouts. Among them, 2,258 are in Korei block, 1,631 in Sukinda, 1,523 in Dasarathpur and 1,422 in Dharmashala. During the meeting, the DEO asked the BEOs to take steps by January 18 to bring down the number of dropouts and identify the ‘fake’ students. However, results have not been forthcoming.
Meanwhile, a total of 249 high schools in the district have been transformed under the 5T initiative at an estimated cost of over Rs 168 crore. The second phase of transformation is also underway in the district. However, all the efforts will go in vain if the dropout rate doesn’t fall.
