Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Dec 27: The long-pending problem of children dropping out of school continues to plague Karnataka and the rest of the country, with fresh data revealing worrying trends.
According to the latest figures released by the union ministry of women and child development, Karnataka ranks third in South India in terms of the number of out-of-school children.
Data tabled in Parliament in response to a question raised by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury shows that during the 2025–26 academic year, 14,087 children in Karnataka were out of school, of whom 6,462 were adolescent girls. The figures indicate a significant increase compared to the previous academic year, raising serious concerns among policymakers and child rights activists.
In 2024–25, the total number of out-of-school children in the state stood at 9,422, with only 115 girls recorded in that category. At the national level, Karnataka ranked 12th, while Gujarat, Assam and Uttar Pradesh topped the list for the highest number of out-of-school children.
Among southern states, Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest number, with 46,463 children out of school, including 17,584 adolescent girls. Tamil Nadu followed in second place with 19,897 children, of whom 9,054 were girls. Telangana reported 4,753 out-of-school children, including 2,006 girls, while Kerala registered the lowest figure in the region, with 1,773 children, including 539 girls.
The ministry stated that several measures are being implemented under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, including free education, upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, Morarji Desai residential schools, provision of free uniforms and textbooks, and construction of hostels for SC and ST girls, among other initiatives.
However, despite these state and central government schemes, thousands of children continue to drop out of school due to multiple challenges. These include a lack of basic infrastructure such as toilets and drinking water, shortage of teachers, gaps in ensuring free and compulsory education up to 18 years of age, as well as child marriage and adolescent pregnancy.
Karnataka currently has 46,460 schools, yet around 170 schools still lack toilet facilities, underscoring the scale of infrastructural deficiencies.
In this context, Civic executive trustee Kathyayini Chamaraj recently submitted a memorandum to women and child development minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, urging the government to introduce a mandatory pre-registration marriage certificate. “Instead of police visiting wedding halls to prevent child marriages, the government should ensure that every couple obtains a pre-registration marriage certificate from the Tahsildar to verify their age,” she said.
She added that such a measure could play a crucial role in curbing child marriages and preventing adolescent girls from dropping out of school. While the rule is already in force for mass marriages in the state, she stressed that it should be made mandatory for private marriages as well.
Chamaraj further said that letters have been sent to both the state and central governments, urging them to provide free and compulsory education for adolescents aged 15 to 18 years. “This would help girls continue their education beyond Class 9 and also offer alternatives such as vocational education and apprenticeships for those who are not academically inclined or fear failing in Class 10 or 12,” she noted.
She emphasised that various government departments must work in coordination, allocate funds for toilet construction, and ensure adequate drinking water facilities in schools to effectively address the dropout crisis.