নাভদ বলেছেন: Sunday, February 20, 2011 Education steps put brake on dropouts Rate climbs down from 42pc to 29pc in 2 years Wasim Bin Habib

The government's policy of distributing free textbooks, widening the stipend coverage for students, and training teachers seem to be paying off: the dropout rate at the SSC level has come down sharply in last two years.

In tune with the decade-old trend, around 53 percent students did not sign up for the Secondary School Certificate examinations in 2007; the percentage was 54.10 in 2008, education ministry sources said.

The rate fell to a remarkable 42.15 percent in 2009 and 36.05 percent last year. This year 29 percent students -- 4.25 lakh out of 14.56 lakh -- did not register to take the exams.

A very few of those students have retaken the exams. Female students have dominated in the dropout ratio since 2007.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said though the rate is decreasing, it is yet to be satisfactory.

"We are waging a kind of movement to reduce the dropout rate. We are giving free textbooks and stipends to poor students to retain them in schools.

"It has been a longstanding problem and it would take time to cure the malady due to the socio-economic condition of the country," he said.

The minister said they are conducting a survey to find out the factors in the situation.

The students who did not register are not necessarily dropouts as they can sit for the exams till 2013 as irregular students, he observed.

Educationists and officials said given the socio-economic condition of the country it is not possible to solve the longstanding problem completely, but it can be reduced to a certain level.

Parents' inability to pay exam fees, failure of many students in qualifying tests, marriage in cases of girls and many being forced by families to get jobs are the major reasons behind students' quitting at secondary level, observe academicians.

“It's time for the government to identify the causes why there are so huge dropouts," said Rasheda K Choudhury, former education adviser to a caretaker government.

She said poverty was not the sole cause of the problem and also suggested the government incorporate some education-related questions in the upcoming population and household census.

Rasheda, also the executive director of Campaign for Popular Education, emphasised classroom learning in rural areas and security and communication issues for female students.

However, the number of absentees in the SSC examinations also became another matter of concern. This year, some 6,583 students were absent on the first day of the examinations and 5,444 on the second day.