Bhopal: The grand claims of Madhya Pradesh's high-budget government initiatives like 'School Chalen Hum' (Let's Go to School) and the Home Contact Campaign have been exposed as hollow. According to the latest December data from the School Education Department, a staggering 7.37 lakh children in the state lack any school records and are completely disconnected from mainstream education. These children are neither enrolled in government nor private schools, with the situation being particularly dire in tribal-dominated areas. This revelation raises serious questions about the department's operations and monitoring mechanisms.

Surprisingly, thousands of teachers are deployed annually to track and re-enroll these children, yet the outcomes remain far from satisfactory. The data shows that in just one year, the number of children enrolling in government schools dropped by 7.37 lakh, but the department has no concrete records explaining where these children have gone.

Statewide figures reveal that a total of 11.38 lakh children fall under the 'Drop Box' category, those at risk of dropping out, while 1.23 lakh children are officially recorded as school dropouts (Shala Tyagi). Additionally, 1.55 lakh children have abandoned their studies due to displacement and migrated to other states. A significant number of children haven't even been mapped on school portals yet.

District-Wise Breakdown: Where the Dropout Crisis Hits Hardest

Examining the district-level data from the School Education Department's portal highlights the most alarming conditions in larger and tribal-majority districts:

• Bhopal- 44,000 Drop Box children and 2,000 school dropouts.

• Dhar - 42,000 Drop Box children and 7,000 school dropouts.

• Indore - 40,000 Drop Box children and 730 school dropouts.

• Gwalior - 34,000 Drop Box children and 6,000 school dropouts.

• Khargone - 32,000 Drop Box children and 7,000 school dropouts.

• Chhatarpur - 30,000 Drop Box children and 4,000 school dropouts.

• Sagar - 29,000 Drop Box children and 2,000 school dropouts.

Tribal Districts Face the Worst: Urgent Call for Intervention in Madhya Pradesh Education Crisis

The situation in tribal districts is even more concerning, underscoring deep-rooted inequalities in access to education:

• Jhabua District: 29,000 Drop Box children and 1,919 school dropouts.

• Shivpuri District: 29,000 Drop Box children and 5,000 school dropouts.

In contrast, some districts report relatively lower figures:

• Pandurna: 2,945 Drop Box children and 68 school dropouts.

• Niwari: 6,547 Drop Box children and 616 school dropouts.

• Anuppur: 7,939 Drop Box children and 1,248 school dropouts.

• Harda: 8,717 Drop Box children and 380 school dropouts.

• Narsinghpur: 9,018 Drop Box children and 1,314 school dropouts.

• Dindori: 9,404 Drop Box children and 1,100 school dropouts.

• Maihar (Mauganj): 9,779 Drop Box children and 630 school dropouts.

• Umaria: 10,692 Drop Box children and 890 school dropouts.

• Mandla: 11,051 Drop Box children and 1,479 school dropouts.

• Neemuch: 11,146 Drop Box children and 1,167 school dropouts.

The severity of the crisis is further evident from the fact that across the state's 55 districts, over 3,500 government schools had zero new enrollments this academic session. Meanwhile, more than 6,500 schools saw fewer than 10 new admissions. Plans are underway to reassign teachers from zero-enrollment schools to others.

To reconnect these children, the State Education Centre has instructed all District Education Officers to paste lists of unmapped children on school notice boards, contact them, and upload details on the portal. State Education Centre Director Harjinder Singh stated that all districts have been directed to ensure no child remains outside the records.

Education experts attribute the exodus from government schools to a lack of trust in education quality, shortage of teachers and basic facilities, migration, and economic compulsions. Until these ground-level issues are addressed, campaigns like 'School Chalen Hum' will remain confined to paperwork and advertisements, leaving lakhs of children deprived of their right to education.

Tribal Congress Demands Accountability: "Where Are MP's Missing Schoolchildren?"

The Tribal Congress has sharply criticized the enrollment and Drop Box figures, holding the School Education Department directly responsible. State President Ramu Tekam, in an interview with The Mooknayak, questioned how 7.37 lakh children slipped through the system despite multi-crore campaigns and annual teacher deployments.

The organization demands that the government publicly disclose the whereabouts of these children and explain why they are increasingly shunning government schools. It accuses the administration of educational neglect in tribal and impoverished areas, marked by teacher shortages, distant schools, and lack of amenities, forcing children to drop out. The Tribal Congress warns that the government cannot evade responsibility through statistics and ads; it must enforce accountability and implement on-ground reforms to ensure no child is denied education.