Breaking Barriers to Education: Persistent Issue of Out-of-School Children in Keonjhar, Odisha

Abstract

Despite constitutional guarantees and targeted policies like the Right to Education (RTE) Act, a significant number of children in India remain out of school, either as dropouts or never enrolled, particularly among socioeconomically and geographically marginalised populations. This article examines the structural and socioeconomic factors that influence out-of-school children in Keonjhar district, Odisha, where tribal children face a significant hurdle in accessing education. Drawing on a comprehensive child census conducted across 11 blocks by Aspire, the study analyses data on over 278,000 children aged 6–17 years. Findings reveal that 9.2% of children in this age group are out of school, with the highest rates among Scheduled Tribes (STs), rural households, girls, and children of uneducated or poor parents. The article also highlights Aspire’s multidimensional interventions, ranging from residential bridge courses to community engagement strategies, that aim to address this issue. The study underscores the need for infrastructural expansion, socio-cultural transformation, economic support, alternative learning pathways, and stronger public-private partnerships to achieve inclusive and equitable education in low-resource settings like Keonjhar.

Keywords: Out-of-school children, School dropout, Educational inequality, Tribal education, Right to Education (RTE), and Marginalised communities

Introduction

Despite notable progress, India continues to struggle to achieve universal elementary education. The issue of out-of-school children, including dropouts and those never enrolled, remains a significant concern, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and underdeveloped regions (Paul & Thapa, 2024). Educational access varies widely across states, with some experiencing significantly higher dropout rates than others. Odisha, in particular, has one of the highest dropout rates in India, especially among tribal children, many of whom are first-generation learners (Pattanaik, 2020).

Since independence, the Indian government has implemented several policies and programs to improve enrolment and access to education. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was launched in 2001-02 to achieve the universalisation of elementary education, bridge the gender gap, and reduce social disparities in educational attainment. The government of India further enacted the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2009 to provide ‘free and compulsory’ education to all children aged between 6 and 14 years. Despite these initiatives by the state and central government, many children in Odisha have limited access to education, especially those belonging to marginalised tribal and poor families (Pattanaik, 2020). 

This field-based study was conducted in Keonjhar, a district in Odisha with a predominantly tribal population. Children in this district face significant educational challenges. The district has witnessed low literacy and alarmingly high dropout rates. According to the 2011 census, Keonjhar’s literacy rate is 68%, which is below the state average. According to UDISE (2021-22) data, the dropout rate at the upper primary level is 7.9%, which increases to 32.6% at the secondary level in Keonjhar. This article examines the structural determinants of out-of-school children. It further recommends key policy solutions to enhance educational access and retention, particularly among marginalised communities in Keonjhar, Odisha.