High dropout rate at secondary levels

A report titled 'Bangladesh Education Statistics-2015', prepared by the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (Banbeis), reveals some harsh truths about the education sector of Bangladesh. As per information collected from 38,757 educational institutions across the country last year, a whopping 40.29 percent of  secondary students (45.92 percent girls, 33.72 percent boys) dropped out last year, of whom 19.11 percent left school when they were in Class VIII.

With children from poorer backgrounds expected to take on the financial burden of their families as they grow up, it is hardly a surprise that many of them are leaving school around the age of 15 to look for full-time work. It is also telling that more girls are dropping out of school than boys, married off at the early age of 14-16.  Poverty, as we know, is a major impediment to completing education, and it is unfortunate that we have not been able to ensure free education for our students, particularly at the secondary level. The lack of standardised quality education and the need for students to turn to private tutors at the secondary level to perform well in the exams mean that education becomes even more inaccessible for students from poorer backgrounds. Meanwhile, schools make little to no effort to identify at-risk students and allocate more time and energy towards motivating them.  

We urge the government to put more emphasis on decreasing the dropout rate for students, beginning with making education more accessible for poorer students. In addition, schools need to channel more resources towards retaining students likely to dropout, with teachers not only encouraging the students but also their families to enable them to complete their education.