SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG RURAL STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY OF CHIRAG DISTRICT, BIJNI SUBDIVISION, BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL (BTC), ASSAM

Abstract

School dropout continues to be one of the most persistent challenges confronting educational development in rural and tribal regions of India. Although substantial progress has been made in expanding school access and enrolment through national education programmes, a significant proportion of children fail to complete their schooling, particularly beyond the elementary stage. This issue is especially pronounced in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas of Assam, where historical marginalisation, socioeconomic deprivation, linguistic diversity, and fragile livelihoods intersect to constrain educational participation.

This review paper examines the phenomenon of school dropout in Chirang District, with a specific focus on Bijni subdivision, a predominantly rural administrative unit within the BTC region. Drawing upon secondary literature, government reports, census data, and empirical studies from Assam and Northeast India, the paper analyses the multidimensional determinants of school dropout. These determinants include household poverty, parental education, child labour, seasonal migration, gender norms, and health and nutrition challenges, as well as school-related factors such as inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages, long distances to secondary schools, language barriers, weak learning outcomes, and poor school climate. The paper also highlights the role of environmental vulnerability, particularly flooding and poor road connectivity, in disrupting schooling continuity.

In addition, the study critically reviews the implementation and effectiveness of major education policies and programmes in BTC areas, including the Right to Education Act, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, scholarship initiatives, and residential schooling provisions. While these interventions have contributed to improved enrolment and attendance at the primary level, their impact on long-term retention and secondary school completion remains limited. The paper argues that reducing school dropout in Chirang District requires context-sensitive, district-level strategies that address both educational and livelihood constraints. It concludes by emphasising the need for flexible schooling models, strengthened secondary education access, multilingual pedagogy, disaster-resilient infrastructure, and improved local governance to ensure sustained educational participation in rural BTC regions.