11 States Account For 85% Of School Dropouts: Education Ministry

The assessment highlighted that the top five boards, namely Uttar Pradesh, CBSE, Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal, cater to approximately 50% of the students.

The Ministry of Education has identified several challenges in an assessment of class 10 and 12 exam results. These challenges include a significant variation in pass percentages among different boards, a lack of a level playing field for students in terms of educational standards, and a large difference in the performance of students from various boards, as reported by PTI. The assessment highlighted that the top five boards, namely Uttar Pradesh, CBSE, Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal, cater to approximately 50% of the students, while the remaining 50% are enrolled in 55 different boards across the country.

Furthermore, the study revealed that the variation in performance could be attributed to different patterns followed by the boards. It suggested that the convergence of secondary and higher secondary boards into a single board within a state could benefit students. Additionally, the assessment found that the presence of different syllabi across boards has created obstacles for students in national-level entrance tests.

According to School Education Secretary, Sanjay Kumar, the difference between pass percentages of various states has led the education ministry to now look at standardising the assessment pattern for all 60 school boards across various states in the country.

There are currently three central boards - the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Additionally, each state has its own state board, resulting in a total of 60 school boards in the country.

A study report highlights significant variations in pass percentages among these boards. For instance, in senior secondary exams, Meghalaya has a pass percentage of 57%, while Kerala has an impressive pass percentage of 99.85%.

The report also reveals that 11 states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh, account for 85% of school dropouts. The report attributes factors such as a shortage of trained teachers and a low teacher-to-school ratio as possible causes for the higher failure rate in state boards. These issues contribute to a lower Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and affect India's ranking in global education indices.

To address these challenges, the report recommends aligning the Science syllabus of state boards with the central boards, aiming for a level playing field for common exams like JEE and NEET. This standardization attempt also aims to reduce dropouts at the class 10 level.

The report highlights concerning statistics, stating that around 35 lakh students do not proceed from class 10 to class 11, with 27.5 lakh students failing and 7.5 lakh students not appearing for the exam. The 11 aforementioned states contribute to 85% of these dropouts.

"Mapping of failing students (around 46 lakh) of regular state boards with open boards and exchange of information can help in tracking and retaining students in the education system for a longer period. Presently, only 10 lakh students are registering through open schools," the report further said.

"Similarly, (around 12 lakh) students registered but not appearing can be mapped with the skill development department for tracking and training them," it added.

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