DROPOUT AND ITS CAUSES
While under-utilisation of existing facilities by the disadvantaged groups reflects one aspect of deprivation, the higher failure and dropout rate of the disadvantaged, reflects the other aspect of their educational backwardness. The previous chapter had clearly shown that under-utilisation of the facilities was highest in respect of the scheduled tribes in all the states followed by the scheduled castes. This chapter will present an analysis of the comparative dropout rates for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and others. Causes of dropouts among the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes as perceived either by the students themselves or by their teachers and heads of the Institutions would also be analysed here.
Dropout is a universal phenomenon in Indian educational system at all the levels which results in considerable wastage of resources. Dropout is most serious at primary school level. A number of studies have shown that dropout is higher in case of disadvantaged poor students. The major reason given usually being that the children are an economic asset to the parents. In the case of ITIs, it was hypothesised that dropout rate would be higher among the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes students than die non-scheduled students because of their comparatively poor economic status.
To understand the phenomenon of dropout among the ITI students this chapter examines first the extent and nature of dropout of the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes as compared to others. The reasons for dropouts are discussed next, and, finally, the chapter makes some suggestions for reducing dropouts from the Industrial Training Courses.
Ordinarily, a dropout is defined as a person who withdraws from a programme of study before completing the same. It differs from wastage where a student takes longer time to complete a course than the prescribed one. For example, at the primary level all those children who are admitted to class I and who do not complete class IV or V, are taker as dropouts. In the case of ITIs all those students who join a particular trade but do not complete the same because they leave the programme before
Dropout and its Causes 65
the final examination, or after failing in it should, similarly, be regarded as dropouts. The actual situation in the ITIs is, however, somewhat different from the primary schools since many of the students who seek admission the ITIs simultaneously apply for other programmes of studies in other institutions, the results of which usually get delayed. Some of these students who get admission in certain other preferred courses leave the ITIs as soon as they learn about it. Such cases mostly occur within the first month itself. Therefore, most of those students who leave the ITIs in the first month may not be regarded as dropouts. However, the institutes seldom come to know the exact reason for dropout.
To compute dropouts on yearly basis, the number of dropouts can be obtained by substracting the enrolment in the next higher class a year later from the number enrolled in a class in a particular year and those who are the repeaters in this class. Under this concept, the dropout rate can be defined as:
Ect-(Ec+1 t+1 + Et+1) DOR t= --------------------------- Ect
DOR t = Dropout rate for a particular class `c' in year t.
Ect = Enrolment in class `c' in year t.
Ec+1 t+1 = Enrolment in the next higher class one year later.
Et+1 = Repeaters in class `c' in year t+1.
As data on repeaters are usually not available, the above formula is simplified into
Ect - Ec+1 t+1 DOR t= ----------------- Ect
which, of course, over-estimates dropout rate to the extent of repeater rate for the year t for class `c'.
In the ITIs or other similar institutions, when the course is of one-year duration, there is no subsequent class. Here the dropout can be computed by subtracting the number of the successful completers from those who were admitted to the particular course. As some of those students who
66 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Industrial Training Institutes
fail in an examination, complete the course in the next year or in a subsequent year, their number should be ascertained before computing drop out rate. It was, however, not feasible to ascertain their number. Hence in this investigation dropouts have been defined as those persons who left the course between their enrolment and final examination. As this definition of dropouts includes those persons also who left the course in the first month to join some other preferred courses, it leads to somewhat over-estimation of dropouts.
With the above limitations, we shall first examine extent of dropout for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and others in each of the states and then give an over all picture of dropout in all the five states.
Extent of Dropouts In Andhra Pradesh dropout rate for the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes (compiled on the basis of data for the years 1976-77 to 1980-81) were, on an average, 5.7 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively. For the scheduled castes the rate ranged from 2.5 per cent in 1976-77 to 8.7 per cent in 1979-80. Among the scheduled tribes the lowest dropout rate (3.5 per cent) was in 1980-81 and highest (13.6 per cent) was in 1979-80. Thus, Andhra Pradesh had dropout rates of less than 10 per cent which can be regarded as quite low.
On the other hand the completion rates for the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes were also comparatively low, the average completion rate for the period 1976-77 to 1980-81 for the scheduled castes being 72 per cent and for the scheduled tribes 62 per cent. Thus while dropout rates were not a matter of concern, the completion rates for the two deprived groups in Andhra Pradesh need to be viewed seriously.
In Bihar the dropout rates varied between 20 to 30 per cent in different trades. The highest dropout rates for both the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes were in blacksmith trade while for non-scheduled group the highest dropout rates were among sheet metal workers (21.4 per cent) followed by blacksmiths (19.9 per cent). In the non-scheduled group, the lowest dropout was in wireman trade. Dropout rates among the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes was about the same around one-fourth of the enrolment. Among the non- scheduled group the dropout rate was about 16 per cent which was considered low in comparison to that for the scheduled groups.
In Bihar the completion rates of the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes were very low being only about 50 per cent in two- year engineering trades and still lower in one-year engineering trade,
Dropout and its Causes 67
In Gujarat dropout rates differed greatly from institute to institute. In Surendranagar ITI the dropout rate was 25 per cent while in Palanpur it was just 7 per cent. In Palanpur eight trades did not have any dropout at all. Dropout rates among the scheduled tribes were higher than nonscheduled group in all the selected ITIs. In Surendranagar ITI the dropout rate of the scheduled castes was 40 per cent as against 25 per cent for others. In Palanpur ITI it was 13 per cent for the scheduled castes as against 7 per cent for others. In Ahmedabad ITI, dropout rate for the scheduled castes was little less than 10 percent and the completion rate was about 75 per cent. In Ahwa ITI dropout rate for the scheduled tribes was Just 14 per cent and their completion rate was 86 per cent.
Dropout rates were worked out in Madhya Pradesh only for Bastar ITI which was predominantly tribal ITI. For the three cohorts of 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79 the dropout rates were 29, 35 and 38 per cent respectively which was a matter of great concern since the dropout rates were not only high but they increased over the years.
Dropout rate in the selected ITIs of Maharashtra was about 18 per cent while the failure was about 25 per cent. Dropout rates were high for the scheduled tribes (26 per cent) while they were lowest for non- scheduled groups (18 per cent). The dropout rate of the scheduled castes was 19 per cent though their failure rate was the highest (40 percent as against 20 per cent for others). Dropout rate in non- engineering trades at 22 per cent was higher in comparison to one-year engineering trades where it was only about 12 per cent.
Analysing the dropout rate for all the states together one finds that these were mostly between 20 to 30 per cent. The rates were higher for the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes compared to non-scheduled groups. No tradewise pattern in dropout rate emerged although it was generally lower in two-year engineering trades as compared to other trades.
Reasons for Dropout An attempt was made to examine the office records to collect information on the reasons for dropout. This was seldom mentioned and, if at all, did not reveal much. On talking to the principals it was found that as the ITI students do not require a transfer certificate to go in any other course or when they take up any job in private sector, the incomplete ITI training seldom matters to them. Therefore, they do not come to the Institute to report that they are leaving the course. Instead, they just
68 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Industrial Training Institutes
absent themselves indefinitely and finally, their names are struck off. In the attendance register we very often found the word `personal reasons' or `absconder' (who continually keeps himself absent). Therefore, the causes of dropout given in this section are mainly based on the interviews with the principals or teachers who sometimes came to know of the cause directly on meeting the dropout himself, but more often, indirectly from some acquaintance of the dropout. Among the selected states Andhra Pradesh did not collect any data on the reasons for dropout.
In Bihar, dropout during the first month was only about 2 to 3 per cent for all the three group, namely, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and others. Dropout rates increased substantially between 3-6 month period. The office records did not give any reason for the dropout.
The main reason given by the principals was poor academic record of the trainees. They felt that the students found it difficult to cope up with the subjects and were not able to concentrate on the practicals. As the pressure of the course taught in the various trades in these Institutes went on increasing, they found it increasingly difficult to cope with. The second reason given by the principals and teachers was that some of the trainees were able to get job before the completion of the course.
According to the students, responsibility for the dropout lay with the teachers who did not teach well. Students were not able to understand what was being taught and therefore they left the course. Another reason mentioned by the students was their poor economic background, this was specially the case with the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. A stipend of Rs. 45 p.m. was hardly sufficient. Therefore, as soon as the students got a job, they left the training.
In Bihar both academic and financial reasons were given as causes for dropout by both the groups-principals and teachers on the one hand and the students on the other hand.
The time of dropout was compiled for Surendrangar ITI in Gujarat. The two-year data for this ITI indicated that major dropout among the students belonging to the scheduled castes as well as the non- scheduled groups occured during the first month. The dropout rates in the first month as percentage of total dropout during the year were, however, higher for the scheduled castes compared to others the proportion was 69.6 per cent in 1974 and 81.3 per cent in 1980 as against 65.8 per cent and 76.5 per cent respectively for the non- scheduled students.
A systematic study of the reasons for dropouts for the last five years are available for 22 dropouts for Ahwa ITI. Out of the 17 non- scheduled tribe dropouts six were from fitter trade, 6 from wireman trade and 5 from other
Dropout and its Causes 69
trades. From fitter trade three left the training since they got employment, one got apprenticeship and one gave personal reason for leaving the training. One student dropped because he was short of attendance. Among the dropouts from wireman trade only one joined father's profession the rest five gave personal reasons for dropping out. Three of the trainees from other trades got transferred to other ITIs. No information was available for the remaining two.
Of the five scheduled tribes dropouts from this ITI three got job, one left because of health problem and the remaining one dropped because of accommodation problem (Ahwa ITI had no hostel).
Overall the most important reason for dropout is getting employment which explains about one-third of the dropouts in this ITI. Among personal reasons the reasons metioned were poor health, accommodation problem and shortage of attendance.
As regards other ITIs in Gujarat, office records did not specifically give the reasons of discontinuance, Against the dropout column the only remarks reported were `fee recovered' `returned' or `refunded' which meant nothing since the training is free for all in all the ITIs. These words very clearly indicated that no one was concerned as to why the students left the course, their only worry seemed to justify the audit.
Principals and teachers of the surveyed ITIs in Gujarat felt that the most important reason for dropout was employment. Wrong choice of subject and consequent inability to pursue the course was also given as reason for leaving the course. Several students left the course when they realised that the training was too tough for them. There is a weekwise programme and three tests in a year. Examinations are interstate. Training is rigorous and any complecency on the part of the students is at a high cost to them. If a student misses a few weeks programme, it becomes almost impossible for him to make up and consequently he is forced to leave it in between.
A very common feeling expressed by the principals and teachers about the reason for dropout of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes students was that they joined the course only for stipend and that they were not interested in training. This feeling did not seem to be wholly correct if one looks at the expressed aspirations of scheduled groups students who mostly looked for government jobs which they could get only after completion of the training.
In Madhya Pradesh the maximum dropout occured during the first few, months probably because ITI training was least preferred programme for many students. As soon as pupils got admission in
70 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Industrial Training Institutes
traditional general courses they left the training. Getting another job even before completion of the training was reason for dropout among the scheduled group students.
In Maharashtra also the highest dropout was reported in the beginning of the session, reason being the same as in Madhya Pradesh, that is, getting some job. Dropout in the middle of the course was ascribed to poor conditions and agricultural background of most of the trainees. Whenever additional manpower was required at home they went back and remained absent for long spells. After some time the institutions struck off their names. Some of the trainees had to undertake some small jobs for the family, hence they could not concentrate on their studies. As a result they were unable to cope up with the prescribed training. Some of them, therefore, left the programme midway while others left it after failing in the examination.
Several students left the training because their economic conditions compelled them to take up any type of work even with low wages. Poor economic condition of the trainee was given as an important cause of dropout by the teachers. In some rare cases an alternate good job also resulted in the dropout of the trainees. Economic reason was given as the most compelling reason for dropout in Maharashtra, even low performance and failure was ascribed to the poor background of students which interfered with their studies in several ways.
Although the responses from all the states, regarding reasons for dropout were not as comprehensive as one would wish them, yet it is possible to say that economic reasons turned out to be the most important one. This was reflected either in taking up of a job which, in most cases, were low paid ones, or in lack of concentration and absenteeism.
Academic failure largely resulted from poor background. It was incorrect to say that the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes joined the ITI courses only for stipend and that they were basically not interested in them. Stipend may be a motivating force for continuing in the courses, this does not seem to be explaining their disinterestedness since most of the scheduled group aspire for Government job which can come to them only after completing the training. If stipend was at all responsible for the dropout, it was because the amount was so meagre that they preferred to give up the training as soon as they got even a low paid job.
While dealing with causes of dropout one should not overlook aca- demic reasons because a large number of dropouts seemed to be among the failures. Punctuality and rigour so essential in training are its good feature but for genuine cases of absenteeism, there is need to make some provision to help them overcome their academic defficiencies.
Dropout and its Causes 71
Summary Dropout is a universal phenomenon in Indian educational system which results in considerable wastage. A dropout has been defined here as one who having enrolled in a particular trade either leaves it mid-way or leaves after failing in the final examination.
While dropout rates in Andhra Pradesh were low they were about 20 to 30 per cent in other states. The survey revealed that dropout rates were higher among the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. Completion rates for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were only about 50 per cent in Bihar. There the dropout during the first month was minimal (2 to 3 per cent), while in Gujarat and Maharashtra the major dropout occured during the first month. One may say that first month dropout is not a cause of great concern in the case of ITI students since most of them go in for alternative courses.
Economic reason appeared to be the most important cause for dropout. Generally the students took up a job and in most cases a low paid one as soon as it was available, otherwise there was lack of concentration on studies or absenteeism due to poor economic background. Even academic failure largely resulted from poor background. It is not correct to say that the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes students joined the ITI courses just for stipend and that basically they were not interested in studies. Stipend might be strong motivating force for joining the ITI training but it does not explain their disinterestedness since most of the scheduled groups students aspired for government job which they could get only after completing the training. If stipend is at all responsible for the dropout, it is because the amount was so low that it did not meet even their minimum needs, and as soon as a student got even a low paid job he gave up the ITI training. It is quite possible to minimise dropout by raising stipend amount.