Guwahati, Jan 13 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the state government’s education reforms are yielding tangible results, with secondary school dropout rates declining by 42 per cent over the last decade, reflecting what he described as a decisive shift from merely creating infrastructure to building educational capacity at scale.

Sharing the data on the social media platform X, the Chief Minister stated that more students in Assam are now enrolled in schools than ever before.

“We are not just building infrastructure, we are building capacity at scale. In the last 10 years, secondary school dropouts are down by 42 per cent as more students in Assam are now in school than ever,” Sarma posted.

Calling the achievement a significant endorsement of the government’s education policies, the Chief Minister, however, asserted that the goal was far from complete.

“This is a big win for our education policies, but we will not stop until there are zero dropouts in Assam,” he added.

Officials in the education department stated that the decline in dropout rates can be attributed to a combination of policy interventions, including the expansion of school infrastructure, recruitment of teachers, digital initiatives, scholarships, mid-day meal coverage, free textbooks and uniforms, and focused monitoring of student attendance, particularly at the secondary level.

Over the years, the Assam government has placed a strong emphasis on strengthening secondary and higher secondary education, particularly in rural and remote areas, where dropout rates have traditionally been high due to economic pressures, limited access, and migration.

Schemes aimed at supporting girl students, children from economically weaker sections and marginalised communities have also played a key role in improving retention.

The Chief Minister has repeatedly stressed that education is central to Assam’s long-term development, linking improved school retention with better employment prospects, social mobility and economic growth.

He has also highlighted the role of technology and data-driven governance in tracking enrolment and identifying students at risk of dropping out.

Educationists said that a sustained focus on quality teaching, counselling, skill-oriented learning, and community engagement would be crucial to achieving the state’s ambitious target of zero dropouts.

With the government signalling that education reforms will continue with greater intensity, officials said the coming years would see further investments in school infrastructure, teacher training and student support systems, as Assam seeks to ensure that every child completes secondary education and is equipped for the future.

–IANS

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