Status of Dropout Rates in the Present Perspectives of Elementary Education with Special Reference to NEP 2020

Abstract

One of the primary goals set in the recently approved National Education Policy, or NEP 2020 is to ensure that children are attending schools. Despite different government initiatives, including the Samagra Shiloh's Angolan and the Right to Education Act that increased enrolment of students in elementary classes, India has seen a significant increase in dropout rates after Grade 5. NEP 2020 has recommended that the government must first provide 'effective and sufficient' infrastructure so that all students have access to safe and engaging school education at all levels. The policy calls for an appropriate mechanism for "carefully tracking" students, as well as their learning levels to ensure that they are enrolled in and attending school, and have "suitable opportunities" to catch up and re-enter school in case they have fallen behind or dropped out. The policy recommends strengthening of existing schemes and policies which are targeted for such socio-economically disadvantaged groups (for instance, schemes for free bicycles for girls or scholarships) to tackle dropouts. Further it recommends setting up special education zones in areas with significant proportion of such disadvantaged groups. "Alternate and innovative education centres will be put in place in co-operation with civil society to ensure that children of migrant laborers, and other children who are dropping out of school due to various circumstances are brought back into mainstream education." The government-backed nationwide outreach programme to find the dropouts and bring them back into the education system must be launched. This will require the participation of all stakeholders, including teachers and parents. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 already has a mechanism to track out-of-school students and their learning levels and make it both possible and easier for them to re-enter the school.