Nishant Saxena
In an effort to bring every child in the state to school, Yogi Adityanath’s government in Uttar Pradesh is implementing the Netherlands’ Early Warning System. The system aims to track and monitor children who drop out of school, encouraging them to return to the mainstream of education. The state’s Basic Education Department conducts a yearly survey, which revealed that 4.81 lakh children left school in 2020-21, more than 4 lakh in 2021-22, and 3.30 lakh in 2022-23. The government’s new campaign focuses on tracking the children and addressing the problems they face to help them return to school as soon as possible.
A team of 12 people, including the Basic Education Minister, will travel to the Netherlands in March to learn about the Early Warning System. Upon their return, a framework will be prepared to implement the system in council schools of the state. The Director General of School Education, Uttar Pradesh, Vijay Kiran Anand, said that special efforts would be made to connect absent children with the mainstream of education. Parents of continuously absent children will be encouraged to send their children to school after talking to them.
The Early Warning System will collect information on children who do not come to school for a specified time or who spend less time in school.
If a child remains absent from school for 40 days, tracking will begin immediately, and the child’s parents will be contacted to find out the reason for their absence. A team will then be formed to bring most of the absent children back to school. The system is estimated to help bring children back to school who are absent from school.
To start the system in the basic schools of Uttar Pradesh as soon as possible, a 12-member team of award-winning teachers from UP will travel to the Netherlands for an educational tour. After understanding the system, it will be seen how it can be implemented in council schools of Uttar Pradesh. If the system can be implemented as it is, it will be brainstormed by the department. If some changes need to be made, a team will be constituted, and a further action plan will be prepared.
The government’s campaign aims to bring back children who drop out midway due to various reasons. The Early Warning System will help track and monitor these children, encourage parents to send their children to school, and create a framework for their return. Uttar Pradesh may become the first state in the country to adopt the Early Warning System, helping to ensure that every child receives an education.
