A total of 4,831 students are presently out of school in Mayurbhanj district, according to an official survey conducted recently. The number may even go up to 5,000, admitted Collector Vineet Bharadwaj here on Tuesday.
At a Press conference, Bharadwaj revealed that at least 2,002 students have been long absentees and 2,638 are drop-outs, while 191 boys and girls never enrolled themselves in schools.
A household survey was conducted in the district by teachers, SMC members and AWW and these three categories of children were identified in the process. Out of these non-school-going children, 95 are orphans, 567 live in remote, inaccessible areas, 441 have single parent, 1,110 hail from disturbed families, 298 are migrants and 62 are working children, whereas other 2,099 children don’t come to school due to health reasons, it was further disclosed at the meet.
However, various measures are being taken to bring about a change in the dismal situation, Bharadwaj asserted.
Schemes like Residential Special Training are being introduced and soon there will be a change in the situation at the grassroot level, he said.
He, at the same time, stressed the need of quality education in schools.