A study conducted by the SSA on 10 August in collaboration with government and private school teachers found a large number of students who had dropped out of school due to the pandemic. The Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal of the Government of Tamil Nadu updates the status of school students who did not re-appear for classes.
The SSA team found that out of 6,07,258 school students in Coimbatore district, 24,977 were found not participating in school activities when tracked using the EMIS portal.
A senior SSA official, requesting anonymity, as the list of other districts was being finalized, said, “In Coimbatore district we can ascertain that 24,977 students are active in school-related activities. If students do not engage in activities related to education. For a month, we no longer consider them a part of the school.”
The SSA team along with school teachers found that most of these students who did not attend classes had left Coimbatore district after their parents lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team found out that most of these students were staying at their parents’ ancestral place. With the support of the SSA officials in the respective districts, they were able to re-enroll these students in schools and other educational institutions in the districts where they are now residing.
According to the SSA official, the survey has ensured that students return to school in one district or another. Some students are opting for Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnic courses after completing Class X, while school students below Class X have re-admitted in schools in the districts.
“We have traced the educational status of 21,000 students in Coimbatore district who have dropped out and ensured that 60 per cent of these students complete school as well as ITI and polytechnic courses,” the SSA official said.
SSA officials are trying to trace the remaining students and bring them back to school.
The survey found that parents were using their children as helpers in farming as well as rearing cows, goats, chickens, but were against their children returning to schools due to lack of awareness. However, with the intervention of the SSA and teachers, the parents have allowed the children to go back to school.
The SSA official said, “It is a cumbersome task and we feel a follow-up is necessary so that the students do not drop out of their schools and the teachers have ensured us full support in this. The SSA will also create a network in this. Related districts and make sure children keep going to school.”
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