THE dropout rate of girl students compared to that of boys in the secondary level is still high although various government initiatives are at work, including stipends and free books to prevent them from the dropout process.
It is true girls are vulnerable to discrimination within the family for socio-economic reason and also in the outdoor from harassment such as sexual assault making them unwilling victim at social level. This is what regularly adding to girls’ dropout at Secondary and Higher Secondary levels. It is also not easier to change the situation overnight but it can’t be denied as well that situation is not changing which is evident from the steadily growing number of female in public and privates sector jobs.
Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) in a recent report said the total combined dropout rate of boys and girls in the year 2017 was 37.81 percent; which is not small number pushing out of classrooms every year. But looking individually the dropout rate of girls was yet higher at 41.52 per cent and boys 33.43 per cent. This rate was 42.16 per cent in 2016 for girls and 33.88 per cent for boys.
The reports blamed several factors for high dropout rate of girls in the Secondary level that included poverty and early marriage. The combined dropout rate for boys and girls in 2008 was 61.38 per cent while it was 55.31 per cent in 2009 and this is how it declined over successive years up to last year. But when it comes about the gap between boys and girls, it is slowly narrowing.
Traditionally our socio-economic situation is blamed for discriminating girls when it comes about sending them to schools and providing financial support. During floods, it is girls who remain grounded at first at home in the villages for inconvenience of movement. They are also sexually vulnerable in the outdoor.
So girls get early marriage while the parents groom their boys as future successor to look after them at old age.
In our view the BANBEIS report must work as eye-opener for the nation and policymakers of the government in particular to take targeted measures to reduce dropout rates for boys and girls. Next to it, we must say discrimination against girls must be effectively addressed to reduce their bigger dropout rates. Only educated girls can only create a healthy family.
So there must be significant improvement to stop the dropout rates. Our society must have educated boys and girls to become professionals; which will reduce the rate of unemployment and increase income-earning members of the family.
It is true girls are vulnerable to discrimination within the family for socio-economic reason and also in the outdoor from harassment such as sexual assault making them unwilling victim at social level. This is what regularly adding to girls’ dropout at Secondary and Higher Secondary levels. It is also not easier to change the situation overnight but it can’t be denied as well that situation is not changing which is evident from the steadily growing number of female in public and privates sector jobs.
Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) in a recent report said the total combined dropout rate of boys and girls in the year 2017 was 37.81 percent; which is not small number pushing out of classrooms every year. But looking individually the dropout rate of girls was yet higher at 41.52 per cent and boys 33.43 per cent. This rate was 42.16 per cent in 2016 for girls and 33.88 per cent for boys.
The reports blamed several factors for high dropout rate of girls in the Secondary level that included poverty and early marriage. The combined dropout rate for boys and girls in 2008 was 61.38 per cent while it was 55.31 per cent in 2009 and this is how it declined over successive years up to last year. But when it comes about the gap between boys and girls, it is slowly narrowing.
Traditionally our socio-economic situation is blamed for discriminating girls when it comes about sending them to schools and providing financial support. During floods, it is girls who remain grounded at first at home in the villages for inconvenience of movement. They are also sexually vulnerable in the outdoor.
So girls get early marriage while the parents groom their boys as future successor to look after them at old age.
In our view the BANBEIS report must work as eye-opener for the nation and policymakers of the government in particular to take targeted measures to reduce dropout rates for boys and girls. Next to it, we must say discrimination against girls must be effectively addressed to reduce their bigger dropout rates. Only educated girls can only create a healthy family.
So there must be significant improvement to stop the dropout rates. Our society must have educated boys and girls to become professionals; which will reduce the rate of unemployment and increase income-earning members of the family.
