TN proposes multi-pronged approach to prevent school dropouts

CHENNAI: State School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday announced in the State Assembly that a slew of measures would be taken to prevent school dropouts and enable absentees of the just-commenced Class 12 public exams to take supplementary exams come July.

Replying to a special call attention motion moved in the State Assembly regarding the abstention of nearly 50,000 students for the language paper of Class 12 board exams in the state, Mahesh Poyyamozhi said that the government allowed several long-absentees and drop outs of last year to appear for the public exam by avoiding strict compliance with the attendance norms this year as a special case owing to the socioeconomic impact of Covid-19.

Reiterating that the government would strictly adhere to the 75% attendance rule from next year, Mahesh said that of the 47,943 students who did not appear for the language paper of Class 12 board exam this year, about 38,015 belonged to government schools, while government aided and private schools accounted for 8,848 and 1,080 student absentees in the academic year 2022-23.

Informing the House that the department was identifying the absentees (for exams) with the help of field level officials and school management committees, the School Education Minister said that list of absentees would be furnished to the School Management Committees and the parents cum students would be offered counselling to appear for supplementary exams to be held in coming July. The minister also proposed to raise awareness among the parents and absentee students on the 14417 helpline besides creating a special training centre at school level to provide guidance on taking the supplementary exams and career counselling.

Absenteeism will be monitored on EMIS portal

Announcing various methods to prevent school dropouts, Mahesh said that details of students abstaining from school for three or more days per week would be monitored on the EMIS portal at the school principal level, while students abstaining for six days in two weeks and nine days in three weeks would be monitored on the EMIS portal at the block level and district coordinator level respectively, and necessary remedial action taken. Asserting that students abstaining for four weeks would be considered as potential drop outs and included in the common pool data, the minister said that the district collectors, in coordination with other departments, would take necessary action for the socioeconomic well-being of the vulnerable students and their families apart from constituting Child Labour Enforcement Groups comprising district collectors and other stakeholder departments to prevent drop outs.