School dropout rate high in Backward districts

Bangalore, July 13 (UNI) More than half of the total school dropouts in the age group of 7 to 14 years account from five districts of the backward Hyderabad and Karnataka region, Karnataka Legislative Council was informed here today.

In a written reply to Congress Member Khaji Arshad Ali's query, Primary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti informed the House that recently a census on children was carried out in the state.

According to the census among 75,75,220 children in the age group of 7 to 14, over 80,860 of them remained outside the school.

He said among the school dropouts Hyderabad and Karnataka regions of Gulbarga, Bidar, Bellary, Raichur and Koppal constitute over 44,663 children. To improve the attendance of children, the state government had launched various programmes, including bridge-course, mobile school and opening of supplementary schools.

UNI