Odisha: Absenteeism hits HSC as thousands skip exam
School and Mass Education authorities said efforts are on to minimise drop out rate and students’ absence from the exam and the number is gradually declining.
Published: 15th March 2023 10:26 AM | Last Updated: 15th March 2023 10:26 AM | A+A A-
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CUTTACK/BHUBANESWAR: OVER 18,000 students did not turn up for the ongoing HSC Summative Assessment-II exams of Class X on the first day. A total 5,41,247 students including 5,32,603 had enrolled for the exam. However, Board of Secondary Education (BSE) sources said that a total 18,133 students remained absent in the first language paper of the exam on the first day on March 10.
Similarly, the board data revealed that 16,432 students remained absent from appearing the English paper on Monday, while 16,695 examinees also skipped the third language paper on Tuesday.The large-scale absence of students became a matter of concern as educationists alleged that could be an indication towards increasing trend of drop out among school children.
A total 43,489 students had also skipped HSC examination in 2022, while 13,058 students had also remained absent during the HSC Summative Assessment-I in the current academic session.Board authorities have maintained silence over the matter, while Odisha Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA) Prakash Chandra Mohanty said, “Neither the Board nor the teachers have been found to be responsible for the drop out or absence of students from the exams.”
During previous analysis, it has been found that child marriage, poverty and migration of parents are the main reasons of students dropping out of schools, he said.Educationists claimed that child labour, to which many students forcefully enter at a tender age, because of the poor financial health of their family, is equally responsible for drop out.
Besides, there are around 2,000 high schools that are running on state government’s ‘No Detention’ policy till Class VIII. Students under the policy are also allowed to avail free enrollment from Class IX onwards. This move, however, has allegedly not yielded desired results.School and Mass Education authorities said efforts are on to minimise drop out rate and students’ absence from the exam and the number is gradually declining.
