Abstract:
"Education is a fundamental right and a critical determinant of socio-economic development. However, in India, dropout rates—especially among marginalized communities—remain a significant challenge. Bhopal, a city with both urban and rural populations, reflects the broader national challenges of educational retention.
School dropout, defined as leaving the formal education system before completing the prescribed course of study, remains a critical challenge worldwide. Globally, UNESCO estimates hundreds of millions of children are out of school due to a complex interplay of social, economic, and institutional factors. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which targets free, equitable primary and secondary education for all, requires addressing dropout at its roots. In India, despite near-universal primary enrollment, dropout rates rise sharply at higher levels. National surveys indicate that about 12.6% of children leave school without completing secondary education. In Madhya Pradesh (MP), the dropout problem is acute: UNICEF reports an upper-primary dropout rate of 7.6% (higher than the national average of 5.6%) and an estimated 450,952 children out of school (2016–17 data). The state government data and news reports likewise highlight worrying trends, especially among girls – for example, one study found the number of adolescent girls dropping out in MP more than doubled between 2016-17 and 2018-19."
