1 hr ago
Andhra Pradesh Drive Targets Thousands of School Dropouts
Andhra Pradesh is trying to bring children who left school back into classrooms.
Officials found more than 491,000 children listed as dropouts across the state.
They say almost all of them have now been enrolled.
Teachers and some parents say these numbers may not show what is really happening.
Some families moved to other places for work and took their children with them.
Some children changed schools but did not receive the papers needed to join the new school.
In another case, a school reportedly refused admission because fees were unpaid.
Teachers say officials must regularly check where children are studying so fewer children disappear from the education system.
Officials identified 4,91,137 school dropouts across Andhra Pradesh and said 4,90,908 had been enrolled.
Teachers and parents disputed the official figures, citing migration, school transfers, denied admissions and weak verification.
Kurnool, Kadapa and Nandyal were among the Rayalaseema districts reporting large numbers of children out of school.
Parents said some children had moved with families for work, while others were caught between private and government schools.
Teachers called for more accurate tracking and restoration of direct admission to Class I.
- Who
- Andhra Pradesh School Education officials, teachers, parents and children listed as school dropouts.
- What
- A special drive is being conducted to identify and enrol children who are out of school.
- Where
- Across Andhra Pradesh, including Rayalaseema districts such as Kurnool, Kadapa and Nandyal.
- When
- During the special dropout-enrolment drive; the articles do not specify a date.
- Why
- To bring out-of-school children back into education and improve tracking of students who leave school.
Officials' account
Teachers' and parents' concerns
Extent of enrolment
Officials' account
School Education officials said they had enrolled 4,90,908 of 4,91,137 identified dropouts, with only 229 cases pending.
Teachers' and parents' concerns
Teachers said official figures do not reflect the situation on the ground and questioned how nearly 99 percent could be enrolled when some children still lack admission.
Accuracy of dropout data
Officials' account
Kurnool's Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan project director said the department verified data before launching the drive.
Teachers' and parents' concerns
Teachers and parents said officials did not always contact families and should determine whether children had left school, transferred, or migrated.
Barriers to school admission
Officials' account
Officials said the dropout list would be reviewed through Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan records and logins to determine pending cases and enrolments.
Teachers' and parents' concerns
Teachers and parents described children unable to move between schools because of missing transfer certificates or alleged refusal of admission over unpaid fees.
Key facts
- Statewide dropout list
- 4,91,137 children were identified as dropouts.
- Statewide official enrolment figure
- School Education officials said 4,90,908 children had been enrolled, leaving 229 cases pending.
- Kurnool
- The article gives differing figures: more than 22,000 children were initially listed in one account, while a district table lists 40,140.
- Kadapa
- The article reports 27,200 children still out of school in one account and 24,195 in the district table.
- Nandyal
- The article reports around 21,000 children in one account and 19,129 in the district table.
- Reported enrolment in Kurnool
- Project director Dr. N.B. Lokaraju said 41,144 children had been enrolled.
- Main concerns raised
- Teachers cited migration, school transfers, denied admissions and inadequate verification or tracking.
Quotes
Dr. N.B. Lokaraju
Kurnool district Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan project director
“We had gone to Guntur to work as agricultural labour and took our children along. They accompany us to the fields. No official has contacted us so far.”
deccanchronicle.com
“We have enrolled as many as 41,144 children in schools.”
deccanchronicle.com
S. Ismail
Parent from Nabikot in Kadapa town
“My son is neither attending the private school nor studying in a government school.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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