Factors affecting school dropouts in India and selected states: An analysis of National Family Health Survey-3 data

Education is the basic requirement for human development. With education, employment opportunities are broadened and income levels are increased. Despite of governmental efforts, huge investment and many innovative programmes, the school dropout remains alarming high in many states of India. In this context, it is not only the provision of schooling facilities and quality of education, but also other household and social factors play a major role in influencing the discontinuation of education. NFHS -3 provides an opportunity to examine the school dropout, based on large nationally representative sample survey of households in Indian context. The present paper tried to understand the differentials in school dropouts for selected states and at national level. Based on the data from NFHS-3, it was found that only 75 percent of the children in the age group 6 to 16 years are currently attending school. About 14% of the children never attended the school and 11 percent dropped out of school for various reasons. The study suggests that unless and until there is considerable improvement in the economic status of households and change in the social attitudes of parents, achieving the goal of universalisation of school education will remain a major challenge for India.