Context: Dropout Rates and Educational Continuity in India
Relevance: GS Paper 2 (Education)
National Improvement
- Share of students continuing education into higher grades improved in 2024 compared to 2019.
- Girls: 80% completed secondary education in 2024 (up from 73.5% in 2019).
- Boys: 77.2% completed secondary education in 2024 (up from 72.4% in 2019).
States with Declining Performance
- Karnataka:
- Girls: 76.5% (2024) vs. 79.3% (2019)
- Boys: 70.7% (2024) vs. 73.6% (2019)
- Bihar:
- Girls: 40.3% (2024) vs. 51.6% (2019)
- Boys: 38.8% (2024) vs. 51.2% (2019)
- Assam and Rajasthan: High dropout rates worsened further.
States with Strong Improvement
- Kerala:
- Boys: 95.7% (2024) vs. 88.3% (2019)
- Girls: 97.5% (2024) vs. 93.2% (2019)
- Tamil Nadu:
- Boys: 89.2% (2024) vs. 81.3% (2019)
- Girls: 95.6% (2024) vs. 89.4% (2019)
Rankings and Stagnation
- Uttarakhand: Steep improvement in rankings for secondary education (11th to 4th for girls).
- Maharashtra: Moderate improvement (12th to 7th for girls).
- Gujarat: Remained stagnant at the bottom of the rankings.
- Haryana: Declined significantly, falling out of the top 10 rankings across school levels.
Implications
- Positive Impact:
Overall improvement in educational continuity across India, especially for girls. - Concerns:
The decline in performance in key states like Karnataka, Bihar, and Assam highlights the need for targeted interventions. - Regional Disparities:
States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu show exemplary progress, setting benchmarks for other regions.
Conclusion
While national averages indicate progress, significant disparities at the state level underline the necessity for region-specific strategies to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all.
