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School enrollments rise' in Telangana, but reality may be different

As many as 10.92 lakh students were enrolled in high schools for the current academic year

Hyderabad: As the pandemic has disrupted education for lakhs of children, the dropout rates among students in senior secondary and high schools are likely to increase.

Data available with the government on enrollment in high schools for the academic year 2020-21 paints a different picture, though. As many as 10.92 lakh students were enrolled in high schools for the current academic year. The number for the academic year 2018-19 provided by the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) was 10.91 lakh.

Those like teachers’ bodies and child rights agencies argue that this might not necessarily be the right projection. General secretary of the Telangana recognised schools management association (TRSMA) Madhusudhan said the data is mostly virtual and that the situation on the ground can be assessed correctly only through a physical survey.

"This data might reflect the natural progression of students from one class to another. In reality, especially after the lockdown, most students have not returned to school, and may never ever due to various reasons," he said.

The issue of fake enrollments is also very real in several states, including Telangana. "Even though the name of a particular student may be in school records, he or she would never have attended school at all. Official records carry more than the real number of students in many schools. This issue has come to light especially after the mandatory linking of Aadhaar cards to school records," he said.

"The names of several students who have opted out of schools might not have been deleted from the official records," he added.

Another possible reason for this increase in enrollments on paper, as highlighted by Varsha Bhargavi, a child rights activist with the Child Rights Protection Forum (CRPF) in the state, is that of the Mid-Day Meal programme. It is likely that the increase shown in enrollment is only to facilitate feeding of more children under the scheme.

"People have suffered major financial crises during Covid times. Enrollment in government schools ensures free meals for children. Even if these children never attend school, they are assured of free food and hence parents enroll their kids," she said.

She also said the gap between education for girl and boy child has grown manifold since the lockdown. The CRPF had in a report published in September 2020 and authored by Bhargavi, had stated that the security personnel saw that more girls have started doing household work and helping parents, instead of attending classes, resulting in an increase in dropout rates among girl students.

"To really assess the situation of enrollments versus dropouts in the state, decadal data with respect to girls and boys should be analysed," this report has proposed.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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