The Tamil Nadu government has ordered an inquiry about why over 1 lakh students in the state didn't appear for their board exams this year. In what has become a shocking revelation, the government fears whether the rate of school dropout has been surging in the state. 

According to reports, around 1.2 lakh students in Tamil Nadu didn't appear for the board exams for Classes 10, 11, and 12 this year. As the scale of absentees has unprecedently increased, the school education department has taken the matter seriously and initiated a detailed investigation into the revelation. About 80,000 students were absent in the previous board exams for these standards, which were conducted before the lockdown. 

Speaking to DT Next, a senior official attached to the School Education Department has said that during the pandemic, 1,88,487 children were dropped out of the schools and they were later identified and enrolled in age-appropriate specific classes from standards 1 to 12. He said that it was shocking that of the total 26 lakh students from classes 10, 11, and 12, who were scheduled to appear for the board exams, 1.2 lakh students didn't appear.

He said that 43,000 students were absent for the Class 10 board exams while the number stands at 44,000 and 33,000 for Class 11 and Class 12 board exams respectively. The official has stated that as the exam was conducted during the pandemic, district education officials, with the help of teachers, will now conduct a door-to-survey through a new mobile application designed for this exercise and integrated with the School Education Department's Education Management Information System, which is a platform that connects schools, teachers, and students. 

The school education department has decided to send the survey report to the Collectors and data from all the districts will be compiled to get a final report. The officials further said that based on the final report from the inquiry, the authorities will look at the reasons behind students' absence from board exams. The official added that with the view of bringing such students back to education, counselling will be provided to the students who had dropped out of school.