Panchayat chiefs told to curb dropout rate in schools

Ranchi: District panchayati raj officer Virendra Kumar Choubey on Thursday directed the heads of the panchayats to curb the dropout rate of the students enrolled in government schools. The workshop, attended by 305 panchayat chiefs, was organised by the district unit of the Jharkhand Education Project Council.
Choubey said, “Out of every 100 students enrolled in primary schools, only 82 reach Class X while 18 drops out. The highest number of dropouts happens in Class VI when students complete primary school and have to take admission in middle school. The panchayat chiefs should generate awareness about the importance of education among the students and the parents residing in areas under their jurisdiction.”
Kaushal Kishor, the additional district programme officer, said, “The panchayat chiefs should maintain a regular vigil so that the government schemes concerning school education and literacy are well implemented. A proper monitoring would help us to become aware of our lackings and correct those.”
Boreya panchayat chief Soma Oraon said, “We understand the necessity to organise awareness programmes to control school dropout rate among the residents,” adding, “We will try to ensure that no student drops out of school.”
The panchayat chiefs were advised to visit schools regularly.