PTI, NEW DELHI: Hurdles in learning English and the cost of extracurricular activities are among the major reasons why poor students drop out of private schools in Delhi, says a study.
Inadequate reimbursement on education expenditures also led to the dropout rate of students from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups (EWS/DG), the survey by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said.
While the dropout rate came down to 10 per cent in 2014 from around 26 per cent in 2011, there has not been much change since then, said the study –‘Implementation of Section 12(1) (c) of Right To Education Act, 2009, in Delhi pertaining to Admission of Children from Disadvantaged Sections in Private Schools’.
According to Section 12 (1) (c) of the RTE Act, private unaided schools have to provide free and compulsory education to EWS/DG children, who should constitute at least one-fourth of the total strength of class 1 or pre-school education.
“In the initial phase in 2011, the dropout rate was at around 26 per cent which came down to 10 per cent in 2014 but shows no major progress after that,” it said, adding that the most dropouts happen at the primary level.
The study by the apex body for protection of child rights was based on data submitted by 650 schools across Delhi on year-wise dropout rates.
It said one of the main “excuses” given by a school was that after the allotment (under the EWS category), parents did not show an interest in getting their children admitted to school, while the institute did not follow the matter up.
“Due to the lack of follow-up by the school or authorities, the seats remain vacant,” it said.
Children left school because parents found the cost of books and extra-curricular too steep, it said.
The study also flagged concern over another trend — that schools had no clarity on steps to follow when an EWS/DG category student left or did not join school.
Documents collected by the NCPCR during onsite school visits show that if a child does not join a school, the institute needs to send a notification to the Department of Education pointing this out.
