School Dropouts

Can a government school produce good results? Can a government school produce nil results? Thankfully, yes is the answer to both the above two question if we go by the results of this year’s High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC). Government schools are well known for its dismal performance and therefore producing nil results is not surprising at all. This year too, 24 schools had zero pass percentage. The good news is that this year two students studying in government schools were placed in the top ten of the HSLC. For too long now, government schools have received negative publicity due to the dismal results it produces year after year. It is only fitting therefore that we must highlight the achievement of the Government school, Botsa and Rüzhükhrie Government Higher Secondary School, both under Kohima district, for the encouraging results. It shows that a government school can also do well if there is collective effort of teachers, parents and students.

It will however be too premature to celebrate the success of government schools in general given that good academic performance and results will have to be sustained over time and replicated across the numerous government schools throughout the State. This will require the school system to function in a professional manner and to remain motivated. Society, especially the parents and students must also do their part to enable the growth of quality education. Also, the disillusionment with the present system unless addressed will continue to produce everything mediocre. For one, the practice of bogus appointments or issuing random transfer orders, which are largely the result of external interference in teachers’ recruitment and transfers by the politicians, has to be stopped. Also, besides holding of open competitive examinations for recruitment of teachers, monitoring and evaluation of schools should be carried out vigorously.

Let us now dwell on a concern that is often ignored while discussing HSLC/HSSLC results, including by the media. While it is easy to go hammer and tongs on the poor performance of government schools, what is the fate of those students, who fail in the examination? The failure to clear exams often leads students to drop out of school. We hear of many Class 10 dropouts in Nagaland, who can then become a liability for society. Although there is no official statistics as such, nevertheless, every year there are likely to be large number of dropouts. For instance, this year the overall HSLC pass percentage was around 65%. The remaining 35% of students would probably re-appear the exams but many could also end up in the category of school dropouts.

 This is an area of concern for all of us. Something has to be done to help students cope with academic failure so that they don’t become frustrated with life and end up doing nothing in life, which in the long run will become a burden for our society. In fact the ideal thing is that no student should be out of school. However in reality this may not be possible. Even in an advanced country like the United States, the school dropout problem is a severe epidemic.

Perhaps, there is a need to identify potential dropouts and effective interventions made. School dropouts are more likely to turn to crime and other antisocial activities. Social intervention must be made to make sure that every young person’s worth and talent is acknowledged and channeled into something useful and productive for our nation. Surely the problem of school dropouts cannot be taken lightly.