What are the causes and solutions for school dropouts in india?

12/05/25

Blog

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India has seen a clear and consistent decline in school dropout rates over the last two decades. The shift hasn’t come from any one breakthrough. It’s been the outcome of many practical changes across education, welfare, and rural development systems. Together, they’ve helped more children stay in school and complete their education.

Steady rise in enrolment and retention

School enrollment at the primary level is now near universal across most of India. That’s a big change from the school dropout incidence that defined the educational milieu twenty years ago. The mid-day meal scheme, specifically, has played a major role here. What started as a nutrition programme also became a strong incentive for families to send their children to school.

Over time, this was followed by improvements in infrastructure – functional toilets, clean drinking water, and better classrooms. Teacher recruitment increased. Learning materials improved. Curriculum reforms began focusing more on activity-based learning, especially in the early years. All of these made a difference.

Retention saw gains, too. With the Right to Education Act in place, schools became more accountable. They started tracking enrollment, attendance, and dropouts more carefully. Families began expecting more from their local schools, and in many places, schools responded.

Improved access for girls

The progress in girls’ education has been especially noticeable in its role in addressing the dropout rate in India. Two decades ago, many girls left school around adolescence. Today, that number is falling steadily. The reasons are straightforward. When schools have separate toilets for girls, safe paths to travel, and nearby female teachers, it becomes easier for parents to support continued education.

Families started seeing education as part of a girl’s future—not something that had to end when she turned twelve or thirteen.

Government programmes backed this up with scholarships and support. In many districts, girls received uniforms, books, and in some cases, direct cash transfers tied to regular attendance. These created a kind of structure around education that encouraged families to keep going.

Having more female teachers helped too. It made schools feel more approachable. It gave girls someone they could turn to if needed. In several rural schools, the presence of women educators changed the tone of the classroom—and the expectations around what girls could do.

Read Also: Right to Education Act (RTE) -Importance & Responsibilities

Community and Institutional Support

At the local level, communities have played a bigger role than they often get credit for. The School Management Committees (SMCs) gave parents and other local residents a way to get involved. They weren’t just passive observers anymore. They could ask questions, raise concerns, and take responsibility for small improvements.

This kind of ownership helped schools function more smoothly. When parents check on attendance, it improves. When local leaders support the school, others follow.

Teacher training has also been updated. It’s more accessible now, especially with platforms like DIKSHA. Teachers can get resources, watch training modules, and learn from peers across states. This helps them deal with mixed-age classrooms, early learning difficulties, and how to support students who might otherwise fall behind.

Some states use digital dashboards to track attendance and learning outcomes. Others send education volunteers into homes and communities.

Integration of Digital Tools

Digital platforms are part of everyday school life. Students watch videos to understand difficult concepts. Teachers use online modules for training. Parents can access summaries of what their children are learning. This has been especially useful in places where schools are far or where children sometimes miss class. With a smartphone and basic connectivity, they can still keep up. It’s not perfect, but it’s a helpful bridge. Digital learning also supports parents who may not have gone to school themselves. They can see what their children are doing, understand the importance of regular attendance, and support their learning at home. In quiet ways, this has helped reduce dropout risk, too. Policy, community involvement, teacher support, and basic infrastructure all moved forward together.

Education NGOs have played a steady, often under-recognised role in reducing school dropouts across India. Working alongside government systems, they’ve helped reach children and families that formal institutions sometimes miss. Their flexibility allows them to respond quickly, adapt to local needs, and stay engaged over time. Many of these organisations operate at the community level—tracking attendance, counselling parents, supporting re-enrolment, and following up when a child misses school for too long. They fill in gaps that larger systems can’t always address right away.

Among them, Bal Raksha Bharat, a child protection NGO, has been particularly consistent. Its programmes, which have helped directly and indirectly address the dropout rate in India, combine direct support with systemic engagement. In several states, the organisation has worked with local education departments to identify out-of-school children, set up learning centres, and guide them back into the formal system. They focus on children living in vulnerable situations—street-connected children, those affected by migration or poverty, and those at risk of early labour.

Gaurav Sharma

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