40pc students drop out in 4 years from JSC to HSC

A staggering 69,348 students (39.90 percent) in eight northern districts of Rangpur division dropped out in last four years, shows the official statistics as Higher Secondary Certification (HSC) examinations under Dinajpur Education Board began on Sunday.

In 2012, one lakh 73 thousand and 786 students sat for the Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinations under the education board.

After four years, students belonging to the same batch are taking their HSC examinations, but the number of participants dropped to one lakh four thousand and 438, as per the data of Dinajpur Education Board.

In other words, 69,348 students dropped out -- 29,176 of them (34.59 percent) male and 40,142 (44.87 percent) female.

One lakh 18 thousand and 438 students appeared in their SSC examinations in 2014, showing that 55,348 students (31.84 percent) dropped out in two years after their JSC examinations.

Between SSC and HSC the dropout figure is 14,000 (11.82 percent).

In last two years, 2922 students dropped out in Dinajpur, 2026 students in Gaibandha, 1996 in Lalmonirhat, 1919 in Panchagarh, 1869 in Kurigram, 1812 in Thakurgaon, 944 in Rangpur, and 512 in Nilphamari district.

The causes of high dropout include financial problem, failing in examinations, underage marriage, and drug addiction, said Tofazzur Rahman, controller of examinations of Dinajpur Education Board.

"I appeared at the JSC examinations in 2012. But I discontinued study as my father died in a road accident and I had to shoulder the family responsibility," said Sudip Roy, 20, who was found working at a brickfield of Teghra village under Biral upazila of Dinajpur.

Moriam [not her real name], had outstanding results in her JSC and SSC examinations in 2012 and 2014, but she could not attend the HSC examinations this year as her parents married her off against her will.