SRINAGAR: The dropout rate of female students at the secondary education level in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 6.3 per cent during 2021-22, according to data provided by the Ministry of Education in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha. This follows a significant decline from 18.6 per cent in 2019-20 and 17.7 per cent in 2018-19 but marks an increase compared to 4.6 per cent in 2020-21.
Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, shared the data while addressing concerns raised by Akhilesh Prasad Singh regarding trends in dropout rates. At the elementary education level, dropout rates for girls in Jammu and Kashmir have consistently declined, from 6.9 per cent in 2018-19 to 3.8 per cent in 2021-22.
To address dropout challenges, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) is implementing the Samagra Shiksha scheme, aimed at universalising quality education while bridging gender and social gaps. Under the initiative, measures to promote girls’ education include:
- Opening neighbourhood schools as per state guidelines.
- Free uniforms and textbooks for girls up to Class VIII.
- Gender-segregated toilets in schools.
- Self-defence training for girls from Classes VI to XII.
- Stipends for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) girls from Classes I to XII.
The scheme also includes state-specific projects such as life skills programmes, awareness drives, installation of incinerators and sanitary pad vending machines, and vocational education at the secondary level.
Further, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) have been established in educationally backward blocks where rural female literacy rates are below the national average. These residential schools cater to girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), minorities, and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, offering education from Classes VI to XII.
The government continues to monitor dropout trends through the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), which compiles educational indicators across states and Union Territories. The Ministry of Education remains committed to improving retention rates and ensuring equitable education access for girls in Jammu and Kashmir.
