J&K’s secondary dropout rate at 12.9 %, above national average as Govt launches major enrolment drive

VIKAS SHARMA

JAMMU, AUGUST 5: After the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s May 2026 report, “School Education System in India,” has placed Jammu and Kashmir’s secondary school dropout rate at 12.9 per cent, higher than the national average of 11.5 per cent, the Directorate of School Education, Jammu (DSEJ) has launched a comprehensive enrolment and retention campaign to identify, enrol and mainstream out-of-school children across all 10 districts of Jammu division.

The report notes that secondary education continues to witness the highest dropout rate among all stages of schooling, with nearly one in every 10 students across the country leaving the education system before completing secondary education.

To address the challenge, the Directorate has issued detailed directions to all Chief Education Officers (CEOs), Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) and Heads of Institutions to ensure that no child in the 6-18 years age group remains outside the school system because of socio-economic, geographical or other constraints. The drive is being implemented in accordance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

According to the Directorate’s circular, every Head of Institution has been directed to conduct a comprehensive survey in the school’s catchment area to identify children who have never been enrolled in any school as well as those who have discontinued their education. Students who have remained absent from school for 45 days or more without prior intimation have been categorised as dropouts and are to be identified and brought back into the education system.

The Department has also asked schools to identify children who are vulnerable to dropping out, including those with frequent absenteeism, poor academic performance, children living in remote areas with limited access to high and higher secondary schools, members of nomadic and migratory communities, orphans, destitute children and students belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The exercise will also cover children from migrant families, economically weaker sections, marginalised communities, Children with Special Needs (CWSN), child labourers and other vulnerable categories.

To ensure that no eligible child is left out, every government school has been instructed to undertake door-to-door household surveys in its feeder area with the support of School Management Committees (SMCs), Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, local volunteers, public representatives and other stakeholders.

The circular further directs that every identified out-of-school child should be enrolled in the nearest government school through age-appropriate admission. Schools have been instructed to provide bridge courses, remedial teaching, counselling and academic support to facilitate successful mainstreaming. Eligible students will also receive free textbooks, uniforms and other benefits available under various government welfare schemes.

In an effort to prevent future dropouts, Heads of Institutions have been directed to closely monitor attendance and immediately counsel parents or guardians in cases of prolonged or irregular absenteeism. The Directorate believes that early intervention and continuous monitoring will play a crucial role in improving retention and reducing dropouts.

A multi-tier monitoring mechanism has also been established for effective implementation of the programme. Progress will be reviewed at the school, cluster, zonal and district levels by Heads of Institutions, Cluster Heads, Zonal Education Officers and Chief Education Officers respectively.

All Range Joint Directors have been tasked with supervising implementation within their jurisdictions, while CEOs have been asked to personally monitor the programme at the district level. To strengthen accountability, the Directorate has made fortnightly Action Taken Reports (ATRs) mandatory and warned that any lapse in implementation will be viewed seriously. The Joint Director (School Education) has been designated as the Nodal Officer for coordination, monitoring and consolidation of reports from all districts of the Jammu division.

The urgency of the initiative is reflected in the findings of the NITI Aayog report, which states that although the national secondary school dropout rate has gradually declined to 11.5 per cent in 2024-25, economic hardship, migration, early entry into the labour market, social challenges and weak institutional support continue to force many students to discontinue their education.

For Jammu and Kashmir, the 12.9 per cent dropout rate means that nearly 13 out of every 100 students enrolled at the secondary level leave school before completing their education, placing the Union Territory above the national average and highlighting the need for focused interventions to improve student retention, particularly among vulnerable and economically disadvantaged groups.

The report reveals significant disparities among States and Union Territories. Chandigarh recorded the country’s lowest secondary school dropout rate at 2 per cent, followed by Jharkhand (3.5%), Lakshadweep (4.1%), Uttarakhand (4.6%) and Kerala (4.8%).

In contrast, West Bengal reported the highest dropout rate at 20 per cent, followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Karnataka (18.3% each), Assam (17.5%), and Mizoram and Meghalaya (17.4% each). Other states and Union Territories recording comparatively high dropout rates include Gujarat (16.9%), Madhya Pradesh (16.8%), Ladakh (16.2%), Andhra Pradesh (15.5%), Chhattisgarh (15.3%), Odisha (15%), Telangana (13.2%), Jammu and Kashmir (12.9%), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (12.5%), Nagaland (12.1%), Maharashtra (11.5%), Sikkim (11.4%) and Tripura (11.3%).

The report, however, also highlights encouraging progress made by several states over the past decade. Odisha reduced its secondary school dropout rate from 49.5 per cent to 15 per cent, while Jharkhand brought it down from 23.2 per cent to 3.5 per cent. Nagaland reduced its dropout rate from 35.1 per cent to 12.1 per cent, Bihar from 25.3 per cent to 6.9 per cent, Rajasthan from 18.8 per cent to 7.7 per cent, and Kerala from 14.5 per cent to 4.8 per cent.