In 2021-22, BMC schools saw lowest drop-out rate in a decade

Praja Foundation, an NGO, released a white paper on the state of municipal education in Mumbai on Monday according to which, in 2021-22, only 3,977 students dropped out of BMC schools.

At 1,419 students, Hindi medium BMC schools recorded the highest number of students dropping out. (File)

With less than 4,000 students dropping out, civic schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have recorded the lowest drop-out rate of the past 10 years in 2021-22 session.

Praja Foundation, an NGO, released a white paper on the state of municipal education in Mumbai on Monday according to which, in 2021-22, only 3,977 students dropped out of BMC schools.

The comparative data revealed that the drop-out number has always been above 10,000, with the highest figure recorded in 2014-15 with over 57,000 students dropping out of civic-run schools in the city.

Also Read | Student enrollment in BMC-run schools saw 6 pc growth during pandemic: report

“The comparative data shows a considerable decline in the number of students dropping out of BMC schools. It will be a challenge for BMC schools to retain this, especially post-pandemic when urban parents may want to shift back to private schools,” said Milind Mhaske, chief executive officer (CEO) of Praja Foundation.

A closer look at the data showed that F North ward, which covers areas such as Dharavi, Matunga, Dadar and Koliwada, has the highest drop-out rate at 542 students. This is followed closely by ward P North, which covers areas such as Malad, Goregaon and Kandivali, with as many as 524 students dropping out of BMC schools.

On the contrary, M East ward, which covers areas such as Mankhurd and Govandi, had the highest number of students enrolled in BMC schools – 37,831 students — in the year 2021-22. This is followed by L Ward comprising areas such as Kurla, Chunabhatti and Sakinaka with as many as 29,350 students enrolled in BMC schools for the academic year 2021-22.

The medium-wise break up of the number of students dropping out of BMC schools showed that English medium schools were less affected than others such as Hindi, Urdu and Marathi.

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At 1,419 students, Hindi medium BMC schools recorded the highest number of students dropping out. This was followed by Urdu medium schools with 1,154 students and Marathi medium schools with 888 students. At just 456, English medium schools had a smaller number of students dropping out.

From only 70 per cent students clearing SSC in the academic year 2017-18 to 97 per cent in 2021-22, the data showed considerable improvement in performance of students in Class X board exam. However, the data also pointed out that there was not even a single secondary school in two wards – R North and C.

Pallavi Smart

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