36% of children in Bihar drop out before Class V: CAG

Patna: The implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) over a decade back in Bihar notwithstanding, 36% of children enrolled in Class I in 2008-09 could not continue their study up to Class V in 2012-13.

According to a CAG report, altogether 41,82,580 children were enrolled in Class I in academic year 2008-09 in government-aided schools. Of them, only 33,23,898 could reach Class II in 2009-10, 32,21,628 could reach Class III in 2010-11, 30,90,729 to Class IV in 2011-12 and finally only 26,60,396 children could reach Class V in 2012-13.

“Dropping out of 15, 22,184 children (36%) during 2008-13 indicates decline in retention rate in spite of implementation of SSA in 2000-01 in the state,” the report, which was tabled in the assembly on Tuesday, said.

BEPC state project director Rahul Singh, while commenting on the report, said the dropout rate shown in the CAG report is correct. “It was based on the data provided by the BEPC itself. It is our data. We had provided this data to them (auditors),” he said on Friday.

Singh, however, said since the SSA was implemented in the state in 2000-01, the CAG should have analyzed the retention trend since the initial years. Had CAG analyzed the retention trend since 2002-03 or 2003-04, the dropout rate would have shown a “declining trend”.

Courtesy: TNN