Bhubaneswar: At least 16,000 students have skipped the annual Class X board examination in the past two years, raising concerns in the school and mass education department about absenteeism. Data from the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) reveals that 8,364 students who filled examination forms this year did not appear for the exam, compared to a little over 8,000 last year.
Reasons Behind Absenteeism
Officials said the trend has prompted the department to examine the reasons behind absenteeism, particularly in districts with consistently high numbers of absent candidates. District-wise data for 2026 shows Keonjhar recorded the highest number of absent examinees at 752, closely followed by Mayurbhanj with 750. Migration-prone Balangir, where students often drop out to work with their parents, reported 640 absent students, while Balasore and Ganjam recorded 627 and 522 such candidates, respectively.
Gangadhar Hembram, a teacher from Mayurbhanj, said, "At the local level, we have noticed children moving out to work or suffering fear of exams due to poor learning levels and probable failure. Many fail to understand the seriousness of a matric (Class X) certificate." Educationist Kailash Dandapat added, "In previous years, the department found child marriage, poverty, and entering the workforce at an early age as primary reasons behind students dropping out of school and exams."
Department's Response
Concerned over the rising number of absent students in the High School Certificate (HSC) exam, the school and mass education department has initiated measures to identify such students and bring them back into the education system. Commissioner-cum-secretary N Thirumala Naik said district education officers (DEOs) conducted a survey to identify absent students and ascertain reasons, which included ill-health, family issues, and personal circumstances.
Naik added, "The absentee pattern varied among students. Many appeared for the first two exams and then dropped out midway, while some did not appear at all. We will conduct a detailed survey to map all such students." The department is exploring whether absenteeism is linked to migration, economic distress, poor learning levels, health issues, or lack of confidence.
Future Plans
Naik said the government would make efforts to ensure these students do not permanently discontinue their studies. "All such students will be motivated to appear for the ensuing HSC supplementary examination or the second phase of the Odisha State Open School Certificate examination so that they can secure a matriculation certificate," he said.
