Guidelines on Early Warning System for Preventing Dropouts

in West Bengal

Background

West Bengal is a State with varied socio-economic conditions. The number of out of school
children, as revealed from the PRABANDH Portal database, around 6764 children between the age-
group 6-18 years are still out of school. In the case of in-school students, the irregularity in
attendance is also observed. In most cases, their absence ranges from one day in a week to three
days in week and in some cases, especially children with disabilities, they attend only one day in
fortnight or month. A large number of children, especially girls and children from minority
communities reach school late and lose out on the number of academic hours.

The School Education Department aims to improve this situation using a two-pronged strategy:

1. Mainstreaming children who are already out of school

2. Identifying students who are at the verge of dropping out and preventing dropout

While several steps are already underway for mainstreaming out of school children, an Early
Warning System is being set up so that local authorities at the school and sub-district level can take
quick measures to facilitate the needs of such students.

Several educational systems globally utilise Early Warning Systems to create feedback loops that
protect and support vulnerable children. Such systems are run at the school, sub-district and
district level and track indicators such as attendance and academic performance as well as
community welfare indicators. When remedial steps are taken in time, students are less likely to
drop out and tend to continue their education.

The School Education Department, Government of West Bengal has decided that certain key
performance indicators should be monitored at the school, block and district level so that children
at the verge of dropping out are identified in time so as to reduce dropouts. The suggested
measures are divided into the following steps:

1. Defining Early Signs of Potential Dropouts that schools should watch out for in students
2. Defining Steps for Remedial Action for authorities at school and circle level to manage
students at risk of dropout and those already dropped out
3. Bi-monthly tracking by School Inspectors.
Guidelines at School Level

It is recommended that all schools in the State under the management of School Education
Department keep track of the following early signs of students at-risk of dropping out and
undertake the suggested steps for remedial action. A register must be maintained in the office of
the Head Teacher (HT) or Teacher In-Charge (TIC) and duly authenticated by HT/TIC for this
purpose.

Please note that the list of early signs and remedial actions are indicative, not exhaustive, and the
reporting format is a suggestion and schools must adapt the guidelines as per their contextual
needs.

1. The reporting format will be filled by the teachers or head teachers at the school level.
2. The reporting format should be filled as and when a student is identified as at-risk of
dropping out.
3. The organisation of the reporting format may be modified if the number of instances is very
high. In which case, separate tables may be maintained for each class or month.
4. Further, if a previously at-risk student, who is brought back to school, again becomes at risk
of dropping out, a new entry should be made against their name in the register.
5. The list of Early Signs of Potential Dropouts and Steps for Remedial Action must be made
available to all teachers in the school by the HT/TIC. The two lists may be modified and
updated at the school level as per the contextual needs of the school and the community.
6. Students may display one or more signs from the list shared. Teachers and head teachers
should make use of their experience and judgement when classifying a student as at-risk of
dropping out.
7. Similarly, a dropped-out student may require one or more interventions from the list of
steps for remedial action. Teachers and head teachers should make use of all possible
resources available to them to ensure that the student comes back to school.
8. The updated lists must be shared with parents of all school students in the next parent
teacher meeting.
9. The HT/TIC should organize a meeting with the parents specially for apprising them about
this programme. Parents should be motivated to ensure that their children attend school
regularly. They should collaborate with school authorities to ensure that the dropout rates
are reduced.

Early Signs of Potential Dropouts

Given below are some of the early signs displayed by students who are at-risk of dropping out from
school. Please note that students may display one or more of these signs and teachers and head
teachers should make use of their experience and judgement when classifying a student as at-risk.
Additionally, excused absences such as illness, wedding or death in the family, family visit etc. may
not be counted towards this list. If possible, students should submit a leave application signed by
their parents. Only unexcused absences should be counted towards these early signs.

• High Absenteeism: Schools should watch out for children who remained absent for more
than five days in a fortnight or more than seven days in a month. Regular absenteeism can
indicate a lack of interest of the student or external factors affecting attendance.
• Poor Academic Performance: Consistently low grades, a decline in academic achievement,
or difficulty in keeping up with coursework can be indicate that a student is struggling to
keep up with school work and is potentially at risk of dropping out.
• Behavioural Issues: Behavioural problems can manifest in various ways, such as disruptive
classroom behaviour, conflicts with peers or teachers, increased aggression, or withdrawal from
social activities. Students displaying such tendencies are likely facing some problems in their
personal life whether at home, at school or elsewhere. Schools should display sensitivity when
dealing with such students.
• Declining School Engagement: A sudden decrease in a student's participation in co-
curricular activities, clubs, or school events can be a sign of disconnection from the school
community. Teachers should try to find out why this change has taken place and seek to
address the issue.
• Family Challenges: Family-related stressors, such as financial difficulties, separation of
parents, or unstable home environments, can significantly impact a student's well-being and
school performance. Schools should be sensitive to such issues and ensure that students feel
safe in discussing them with teachers.
• Substance Abuse: The use of drugs or alcohol among students, especially at a young age,
can be a red flag. Substance abuse may indicate coping mechanisms for underlying issues
and should be addressed with proper intervention and support.
• Peer Pressure and Bullying: Peer pressure, as well as bullying, can contribute to a student's
decision to drop out. Schools should implement a zero-tolerance policy against bullying and
ensure that students adversely affected by peer pressure are made to feel safe and comfortable
in the school environment.

Identifying these early signs and promptly intervening to address the underlying issues can help
prevent students from dropping out and support their continued success in education.

Steps for Remedial Action

Given below are some of the suggested preventive measures for children who are at-risk of
dropping out or have already dropped out from school. Please note that these students may
require one or more interventions from the list below. Teachers and head teachers should make
use of all possible resources available to them to ensure that the student comes back to school.
• A ‘Buddy System’ should be used to pair students in each class. The class teacher should
create pairs of students in the class based on proximity to residence. In case a child does
not come to school, the buddy should go to their house to find out why and report to the
teacher the next day.
• Phone calls should be made by teachers to parents of children who did not attend school
for more than 3 days consecutively. Reasons for the absence should be inquired and
parents should be motivated to send their children to school. If necessary, the matter may
be escalated to the head teacher. Absences in case of illness may be reasonably excused.
• Visits should be made by teachers to homes of children who remained absent for more
than 5 days in a fortnight. Reasons for the absence should be inquired and parents should
be motivated to send their children to school. If necessary, the matter may be escalated to
the head teacher. Absences in case of illness may be reasonably excused.
• Joint visits by School Management Committee (SMC) members and teachers should be
made to the homes of children who remained absent for more than 10 days in a month.
Reasons for the absence should be inquired and parents should be motivated to send their
children to school. Absences in case of illness may be reasonably excused.
• At-risk students should be paired with mentors or older students who can offer guidance
and support. These mentors should serve as positive role models and help build a sense of
belonging within the school community.
• For children who have already been identified as at-risk, the teachers and head teacher
should organize the following activities:
o Help them see the connection between education and their future opportunities.
Work with at-risk students to set achievable long-term goals and aspirations. The
Career Guidance Portal on Banglar Shiksha may be used for the same.
o Help them explore alternative education pathways such as open schooling or
vocational training for students who may benefit from a different learning
environment.
o Recognize and celebrate improved attendance records of students who have
previously been identified as at-risk. (“Star of the week”, “Most improved
attendance award”)
• Schools should collaborate with community leaders and NGOs to organize awareness
events against early/child marriage. Teachers should visit the homes of at-risk students
who have dropped out due to early/child marriage and try to convince the parents to
continue the schooling of their child.
• During their supportive supervision visits, the SIs/AIs should visit at least two families (if
applicable) from which students have been identified as at-risk.
Reporting Format for Head Teachers

School Name: UDISE Code:

Circle: District:

S. Name Class No. of Reason(s) Date when Date Reason if

No. of Enrolled Days Student is Student is when student is
Student In Absent Identified as Identified as Student is NOT
in Last At-risk At-risk brought brought
Month back to back to
school school

Total
Guidelines for School Inspectors

School inspectors (SIs and AIs) should support the schools in their circles in implementing this
programme. They will check how many students have been identified as at-risk of dropping out
and how many have been brought back to school.

• SI will collect data from all schools in their circle on a bi-monthly basis (i.e., once in two
months). The data should be aggregated for all schools using the reporting format given
below.
• The inspectors could check the total attendance of the school in the last 4-6 weeks and see
if the overall trend is declining. The difference between the attendance should be roughly
similar to the number of students identified as at-risk of dropping out.
• Upon issuance of these guidelines, the SI should call a meeting of the school teachers, head
teacher and the School Management Committee. It should be ensured that the
abovementioned remedial steps are put into action so that the children at-risk can be
brought back to school.
• As mentioned earlier, the SI/AI should visit the homes of students with the school
authorities and convince the parents to send the child back to school during their
supportive supervision visits.

Reporting Format for SIs/AIs – Circle Level

The following format will be filled by the SIs/AIs for the schools in their respective circle(s). The
format should be filled once in every two months.

Date: Circle: District:

S. Name UDISE Enrolment Enrolment No. of No. of At- No. of

No. of Code as of as of one Students Risk Students No
School today month ago Identified as Students Longer
(4-6 weeks At-Risk of Brought Attending
before Dropping Back to Any
today) Out School Educational
Institution*

Total

* Educational Institutions include all government and private schools, Madrasahs, Open
Schooling, Vocational Institutes etc.
Guidelines for District Inspectors

District inspectors (Secondary and Primary) should play the role of guidance and support for
implementing this programme. They should compile a report using the format below to check how
many students have been identified as at-risk of dropping out and how many have been brought
back to school.

• Wherever necessary, the DI should support the SI/AI and school authorities by providing
necessary guidance and support so that parents of at-risk or dropped out students can be
convinced to send their children back to school.

Reporting Format for DIs/DEOs – District Level

The following format will be filled at the district level by compiling data from all the circles. The
format should be filled once in every two months.

Date: District:

S. Name Total Total Total No. of Total No. of Total No. of

No. of Enrolment Enrolment as Students At-Risk Students No
Circle as of of one month Identified as Students Longer
today ago (4-6 At-Risk of Brought Attending Any
weeks before Dropping Out Back to Educational
today) School Institution

Total
Timeline of Activities on Early Warning System for Preventing
Dropouts

S.
No. Activity Responsibility Timeline
Issuing guidelines to respective
1 PBSSM By 20.09.24
districts
Orienting DEOs, DIS(PE)s and
2 DIS(SE)of concerned districts PBSSM & UNICEF By 27.09.24
regarding the programme
DEO and DIS will orient all SIs
3 regarding objectives and DEO and DIS By 30.09.24
procedure of the programme
Sub Inspector of Schools will
4 orient HoI of all schools SIs of Circle By 04.10.24
regarding the programme
Informing all parents about the
programme and guiding them
5 HoI of Schools Before Puja Vacations
to reduce unexcused absences
of their wards
Portal updation and
6 development of mobile App BSP Team By 30.10.24

PBSSM, UNICEF & BS Mid-November (After Puja

7 Status review with the Districts TEAM Vacation)