According to the data released by the Jharkhand Education Project Council, great success has been achieved in connecting out of school and drop out children from across the State with the mainstream system of education. In the academic session 2024- 24, efforts have been made to connect as many as 54,130 out of school and dropout children to schools and all the districts have succeeded in their attempts to connect children to education as per the set target.
Out of a total 65,065 targeted children, till now about 83.19% children have been connected to school and their education has also started. Efforts are on to connect the remaining children as well and in this academic session a target to link 100% of the children has been set.
Previously, in the year 2023- 24, about 34,608 children were connected to the mainstream education while in 2022- 23, as many as 5,592 children were linked.
State Program Manager Binita Tirkey said that in most of the districts, the efforts to connect out of school and drop out children to school have been successful. The districts which have not yet achieved 100% of the target have been directed to do the same as soon as possible. The department is trying to connect 100% of the targeted children to the mainstream of education in this academic year as well and for this the districts have been given guidelines.
Tirkey said that the districts in which out of school and dropout children have not been connected to education, they have been directed to complete this work by January 30 at any cost.
Continuous efforts are being made to connect out of school and dropout children to schools. For this, community participation and awareness is being increased and schools and districts are being continuously monitored by State level officials. In 24 districts of the State, under the leadership of 24 State level officials, the monitoring team officials are visiting to ensure that their district has 100% Shishu Panji and no child is left out of the mainstream system of education.
Project Impact, Prayas and School RUAR program are proving to be effective in increasing the attendance of children in schools and connecting them with education. Under the Prayas program, the absence of students in school is marked on the basis of days. The record of children is maintained every month by making a register in each class. Necessary efforts are made to ensure the presence of children who are absent for 3 days, 15 days and 30 days and their complete details are maintained.
This program has also been included in the parameters of Project Impact. The complete details of the child and reason for absence are checked by contacting the relatives of the absent children. SMC members and teachers contact with the child's family to find out the reason for absence and try to connect them with education.
Apart from this, the School RUAR Abhiyan is also run by the School Education and Literacy Department. The purpose of this campaign is to enroll children between 5 and 18 years of age in schools and ensure 100 percent attendance. Under this campaign, un- enrolled and dropout children are brought back to school. The school management committee and community participation play an important role in this. The School RUAR Abhiyan is reviewed every year.