Dropout drive: 432 back in schools on Day 1

TIRUPATTUR: Nearly 1,989 dropouts from 993 government schools in Tirupattur district will receive a fresh lease of life following a drive initiated by Collector D Baskara Pandian to readmit them in schools from Tuesday. “We expect all drop outs to be admitted before the week is over,” Baskara Pandian told DT Next.

Asked for the reason to start the drive, the Collector explained, “It is simple. The students specially girls once educated will not fall prey to their parents constant demand to get married as they will wait till they reach the marriageable age of 18 years. This indirectly will also help to ensure that more girls get educated and thereby stabilise the lopsided sex ratio in the district, which has only around 964 girls for every 1,000 boys.”

The move was planned after a meeting with school heads on October 27 where in the reasons for dropouts was discussed. Dasariappanur village in Natrampalli Panchayat Union and Ambur town had the highest dropouts in the district numbering 31 and 20 respectively, the Collector said.

A team of education department officials lead by Baskara Pandian visited the houses of the dropouts personally where he interacted with the parents and advised them of the advantages of educating their girl children. Once successful, he gave a lift to some girls from the village to the school in his official car. He also took them inside the class, seated them and then introduced them to the other students while also handing over the government’s textbooks.

“This move resulted in 432 dropouts rejoining their old institutions on Tuesday alone, officials said and added that once all were readmitted, they would be followed up to ensure that they did not drop out again,” Baskara Pandian said.

Being orphaned, lack of interest, compulsion to marry, needing to stay at home to cook and a massive inferiority complex were cited as some of the reasons why the students dropped out in the first place, officials noted.