Bangladesh plagued by high dropout rate

About 50% of primary and 80% of secondary level students drop out of school in Bangladesh, according to a report released last week by the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), a Bangladeshi non-governmental organization (NGO). The report entitled Education Watch 2006 refuted the government’s claim that primary education was free in Bangladesh.

The report said 59% of total spending per child in government primary schools and 71% of spending per child in government-assisted secondary schools came from parents. The report said rich families were able to spend more on their children’s education, resulting in a growing educational gap between rich and poor. Read the article in IRIN News.