Reasons of student dropouts

Decreasing dropout rate and developing the quality of education are the two pressing needs of the time

Despite taking many steps and applying efforts, the dropout rate in primary, secondary and higher secondary levels is not decreasing at the expected level. It is still high. Poverty, child marriage, high -priced note-guide books, compulsory coaching and weak teaching system are responsible for not decreasing the dropout rates. If one hundred students get enrolled in class one, out of them only 32 students retain till intermediate level, the rest 68 students drop out of the educational institution. Though incentives in the form of stipend, free textbooks distribution at a cost of millions of dollars, school feeding programs are going on, dropout rate is not decreasing. Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) reveals these figures recently. The education minister says to the newsmen about the causes of dropouts that marriage of the students belonging to ultra-poor families, students are to enter job market due to poverty, failing in the test examination and final examination are the reasons of drop outs. Girl students’ drop out mainly because of marriage and the location of colleges in distance. In 2014 World Bank mission released a report on education of Bangladesh which also showed almost the same reasons of dropout along with poverty, weak teaching method and weaker base of students. 

It is known from the journalists’ search that students drop out in phases from class one to twelve. It has been recorded that from one to class five, students drop out at every class. There lies a difference between the students registered for PSC examination and the number of students really sit for this examination. After getting the results published, the students who fail also drop out but a few of them restart their studies. The same thing happens in the SSC and HSC examinations. It has been received from the records of the statistics of Education Ministry and public examinations that 22 lakh 72 thousand 289 students took part in the JSC and JDC examinations in 2015. Out of them 20 lakh 82 thousand passed and 1 lakh 74thousand 207 students failed. Moreover, more than one lakh students registered but they did not fill up the examination forms. Thus about two lakh seventy-five thousand dropped out in one year. 
For appearing in the SSC examination this year 16 lakh 95 thousand 467 students registered in class nine. Out of them 16 lakh 51 thousand 523 appeared in the SSC examination and passed 14 lakh 52 thousand 605. They are invited to take admission in the higher secondary level but 13 lakh 1 thousand 99 applied. It shows that 3 lakh 94 thousand 368 students dropped out in two years between their registration in class nine and till intermediate. Dropout rate here is more than 26 percent.  13 lakh 3 thousand 331 students passed the SSC and 12 lakh 2thouadn 617 students got enrolled in eleven class in 2014. Out of them 9 lakh 61 thousand 702 took part in examinations. According to this account, 2 lakh 40 thousand 915 students left educational institution. 1 lakh 11 thousand 672 boys and 1 lakh 29 thousand 243 girl students that means girl students drop out more than boys. From SSC to HSC more than 26 percent students drop out in two years. 
BANBEIS has developed another report reflecting on the education scenario. It shows that dropout rate in secondary level is 40.29 percent. In higher secondary level it is 22.70 per cent. Directorate of Primary Education released a report in December 2015 showing the dropout rate in primary 20.4 percent. It also says that students drop out in every class from one to five but another six percent gets re-enrolled.
BANBEIS report says student’s enrolment has decreased about four lakh from 2014 to 2015 in primary level. In secondary level this rate has slightly decreased in 2015 than in 2014 but increased in higher secondary level. In 2014 secondary level drop out was 41.59 percent. In 2015 it became 40.29 percent. In higher secondary level dropout rate was 21.37 percent in 2014, it was 22.70 in 2015. From primary to university total three crore 66 lakh 46 thousand 519 students study. Girl students among them is one crore 84 lakh 637 which is half of the total student population. So, average student equality is maintained which is undoubtedly a good news. But decreasing dropout rate and developing the quality of education are the two pressing needs of the time. We must bring about significant changes in these areas otherwise our positive efforts will pale into insignificance.
Nurul Islam Nahid has said  in the National Assembly that in government schools student fee is taka eight in class six and it is ten for seven and eight classes, it is taka 12 for nine and ten students. In eleven twelve (Arts and Commerce) tuition fee for students is taka 16 and eleven and twelve classes (Science, home economics, economics and music) it is taka 18. In one sense this poor amount of tuition fee sounds good and deserves appreciation. But if we look at it with a critical eye, it calls for serious review as only 335(newspaper reports say though the number was 317 so long years) are fully government and the rest about twenty thousand schools are run in the private sector. Only 3 percent students read in the government schools who enjoy minimal amount of tuition fee whereas 97 percent students are to pay a higher amount of tuition fee though they all are supposed to enjoy the same facility from the state. Serious discrimination has been made through this system. 
The game goes more. If these students are to receive education from the state giving this minimal amount we could be satisfied. But things don’t happen as the expectation. All the students have to spend several thousand taka for receiving private coaching which is arranged by their teachers.  So, what is the significance of taking very small amount of tuition fee only from the government school students who have to pay many times more than their usual tuition fee to receive education? 

The writer is an educationist 
Email: [email protected]

Reasons of student dropouts

Decreasing dropout rate and developing the quality of education are the two pressing needs of the time

Despite taking many steps and applying efforts, the dropout rate in primary, secondary and higher secondary levels is not decreasing at the expected level. It is still high. Poverty, child marriage, high -priced note-guide books, compulsory coaching and weak teaching system are responsible for not decreasing the dropout rates. If one hundred students get enrolled in class one, out of them only 32 students retain till intermediate level, the rest 68 students drop out of the educational institution. Though incentives in the form of stipend, free textbooks distribution at a cost of millions of dollars, school feeding programs are going on, dropout rate is not decreasing. Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) reveals these figures recently. The education minister says to the newsmen about the causes of dropouts that marriage of the students belonging to ultra-poor families, students are to enter job market due to poverty, failing in the test examination and final examination are the reasons of drop outs. Girl students drop out mainly because of marriage and the location of colleges in distance. In 2014 World Bank mission released a report on education of Bangladesh which also showed almost the same reasons of dropout along with poverty, weak teaching method and weaker base of students. It is known from the journalists search that students drop out in phases from class one to twelve. It has been recorded that from one to class five, students drop out at every class. There lies a difference between the students registered for PSC examination and the number of students really sit for this examination. After getting the results published, the students who fail also drop out but a few of them restart their studies. The same thing happens in the SSC and HSC examinations. It has been received from the records of the statistics of Education Ministry and public examinations that 22 lakh 72 thousand 289 students took part in the JSC and JDC examinations in 2015. Out of them 20 lakh 82 thousand passed and 1 lakh 74thousand 207 students failed. Moreover, more than one lakh students registered but they did not fill up the examination forms. Thus about two lakh seventy-five thousand dropped out in one year. For appearing in the SSC examination this year 16 lakh 95 thousand 467 students registered in class nine. Out of them 16 lakh 51 thousand 523 appeared in the SSC examination and passed 14 lakh 52 thousand 605. They are invited to take admission in the higher secondary level but 13 lakh 1 thousand 99 applied. It shows that 3 lakh 94 thousand 368 students dropped out in two years between their registration in class nine and till intermediate. Dropout rate here is more than 26 percent. 13 lakh 3 thousand 331 students passed the SSC and 12 lakh 2thouadn 617 students got enrolled in eleven class in 2014. Out of them 9 lakh 61 thousand 702 took part in examinations. According to this account, 2 lakh 40 thousand 915 students left educational institution. 1 lakh 11 thousand 672 boys and 1 lakh 29 thousand 243 girl students that means girl students drop out more than boys. From SSC to HSC more than 26 percent students drop out in two years. BANBEIS has developed another report reflecting on the education scenario. It shows that dropout rate in secondary level is 40.29 percent. In higher secondary level it is 22.70 per cent. Directorate of Primary Education released a report in December 2015 showing the dropout rate in primary 20.4 percent. It also says that students drop out in every class from one to five but another six percent gets re-enrolled. BANBEIS report says students enrolment has decreased about four lakh from 2014 to 2015 in primary level. In secondary level this rate has slightly decreased in 2015 than in 2014 but increased in higher secondary level. In 2014 secondary level drop out was 41.59 percent. In 2015 it became 40.29 percent. In higher secondary level dropout rate was 21.37 percent in 2014, it was 22.70 in 2015. From primary to university total three crore 66 lakh 46 thousand 519 students study. Girl students among them is one crore 84 lakh 637 which is half of the total student population. So, average student equality is maintained which is undoubtedly a good news. But decreasing dropout rate and developing the quality of education are the two pressing needs of the time. We must bring about significant changes in these areas otherwise our positive efforts will pale into insignificance. Nurul Islam Nahid has said in the National Assembly that in government schools student fee is taka eight in class six and it is ten for seven and eight classes, it is taka 12 for nine and ten students. In eleven twelve (Arts and Commerce) tuition fee for students is taka 16 and eleven and twelve classes (Science, home economics, economics and music) it is taka 18. In one sense this poor amount of tuition fee sounds good and deserves appreciation. But if we look at it with a critical eye, it calls for serious review as only 335(newspaper reports say though the number was 317 so long years) are fully government and the rest about twenty thousand schools are run in the private sector. Only 3 percent students read in the government schools who enjoy minimal amount of tuition fee whereas 97 percent students are to pay a higher amount of tuition fee though they all are supposed to enjoy the same facility from the state. Serious discrimination has been made through this system. The game goes more. If these students are to receive education from the state giving this minimal amount we could be satisfied. But things dont happen as the expectation. All the students have to spend several thousand taka for receiving private coaching which is arranged by their teachers. So, what is the significance of taking very small amount of tuition fee only from the government school students who have to pay many times more than their usual tuition fee to receive education? The writer is an educationist Email: [email protected]