Tamil Nadu children more keen to earn than learn after Class 10

According to an independent survey conducted by Ministry of Human Resource and Development in 2014, Tamil Nadu had 57,529 school dropouts – which was better than states like Karnataka (1,22,139), Madhya Pradesh (4,50,952), Bihar (11,69,722) and Uttar Pradesh (16,12,285), among others. Activists said many students are dropping out after high school, working at jobs that pay a pittance. Virgil Duraisamy, director of NGO Arunodhaya, said this stems from parental attitude. “Education is compulsory till the age of 14, after which many parents, especially those from impoverished background, believe that their wards are better off working. Mostly, girls drop out after high school, as parents want to get them married. Apart from an attitudinal change, our education system should be revamped to encourage children to stay in school and prepare them for life,” he said. 

Ramesh R*, who dropped out halfway through Class 9, said he regrets his decision even today. “In our village, some boys who had left school were earning money. So, I too left school and my parents didn’t stop me as they were struggling to bear my education expenses. I took up a job as a van cleaner. Now, I really wish I had studied further,” he said. 

Parents, too, feel they are better off with their children earning money today rather than considering the long-term prospects. Selvi, daughter of Murugan, a farmer, dropped out after Class 10 and took up a daily-wage job in a mill, earning Rs 210 per day. “We didn’t force her to study and felt that she could take up employment,” said Murugan hailing from a village near Dindigul. 

Andrew Sesuraj, State Convenor, Tamil Nadu Child Rights Observatory (TNCRO), said records too are not updated. “Often, children’s names are on the records even after they drop out, and the real numbers are known when Class 10 exams are held,” he revealed.