Ranchi, Nov. 30: The principal reason behind the increasing rate of dropouts at the primary level in state schools has been found out — absentee teachers.

Jharkhand records an alarming rate of truant teachers on working days. Moreover, the principals of the primary schools are preoccupied with non-teaching work 65 days a year on an average. These are the findings of a study conducted jointly by All India Primary Teachers’ Federation, All India Federation of Teachers’ Organisation, National Coalition for education and Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

The organisations had conducted the study on the education scenario of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh for 2007-08. The report was released at a function on Saturday. It was, however, unveiled in Delhi a couple of months ago.

The study blames 82.98 per cent dropout on poor functioning of the schools as teachers don’t turn up in classes. It further revealed while the schools record 13.83 per cent dropout due to poverty, 2.66 per cent is because of child labour. Child marriage is another factor.

“Although the Centre and the state government have increased the budget for education, the standard of primary education continues to be in a deplorable state,” said Ramakant Rai, co-ordinator of the National Coalition for Education. “The government’s decision to recruit para-teachers in primary schools has further ruined the standard of education,” said Rampal Singh, president of All India Primary Teachers’ Federation.

He added that the government’s excuse of lack of money is a farce because a good share of the money collected as education cess gets wasted at the end of the year. The fact that the primary principals are engaged in non-teaching work does not help. Jharkhand, however, is not the only state to be grappling with the problem of absentee teachers.

Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 108 days in a year of non-teaching engagement for principals. Jharkhand comes second while Bihar follows with 57 days.

The Jharkhand government may make tall claims that it provides midday meal to all schools, but the study has found that the quality of food is not satisfactory in 56.6 per cent schools.