Causes of Dropout of Female Students in Primary and Secondary Level in the Socioeconomic and Cultural Contexts of Bangladesh

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDYThere is nothing to over emphasis on education as it is regarded as a basic instrument of social progress and national development. Both male and female are to be educated for such total development. As because, women, the half of the total population, can constitute a great work force, developing their skill through education. Through education a human resource can be fully developed, it makes a man perfect. But every year a lot of female students are being dropped out in Bangladesh, which affect the national development. The findings of the present study will give a clear picture about the causes and remedies of dropout of female students in primary and secondary level in the socioeconomic and cultural contexts of Bangladesh. The knowledge of the study will help the social scientists, policy makers, researchers, counselors and psychologists to take necessary steps to reduce the rate of dropout of female students in Bangladesh.INTRODUCTIONWomen's entrance to education in the least developed countries is not smooth and wide. In Bangladesh, opportunities for formal education of women are denied or becomes narrow in certain cases due to child marriage, dropout, financial insolvency of parents, domestic workload, purdah (seclusion), parent's and in-law's thinking against female education, etc. Certain special initiatives (free primary education is provided for both male and female but secondary education is free only for female in rural areas) for female education were taken in Bangladesh, but the achievement is not satisfactory and the dropout rate, especially at the secondary level is high mainly due to the practice of early marriage. Actual condition of female education in secondary level can be assumed from the following table.The table shows that total enrolments of boys in secondary schools in rural areas are 1031151, but at the same time girls' enrolments (both in boys and girls schools) are 247082. The difference is 784069. It is a better proof of the worst condition of female education at the secondary level. "The literacy rate of male is 55% and that of female is 38%; male has 36%, female has 12% access to education, which is one third that of men. The difference is more pronounced amongst the rural population. Women are the most under privileged in society. It has been found that the female students are 24.5% as against the 75.5% male students at the university level and male to female student ratio is 5 to 1 in class ten. There is also inequality in terms of institutional support. For example, there is a 7 to 1 ratio in number of schools" (Self-Assessment, 2003). In primary level, 32-33 per cent students dropout and in secondary level, the rate is more than 50 per cent (Panjeree Shiksha Shangbad, 2008). Female enrolment is low and dropout rate is high. Sex difference in education can easily be realized from the number of students by sex in primary school in different years from 1993-1998 and 1950-1980, which is given in Table 2 and 3. The tables show that boys' students are more than that of girls in each year.Table 4 and 5 shows that in Bangladesh girls have less access to schooling and the dropout rates of those who enrolled in schools is much higher than that of boys,especially in secondary level.The main focus of this study is to find out the causes and remedies of dropout of female students in primary and secondary level on the basis of this existing discriminatory situation of female education in Bangladesh.Objectives of the Study1. To assess the situation of female education in Bangladesh;2. To identify the various causes of dropout of female students at the primary and secondary level in the socioeconomic and cultural contexts of Bangladesh and3. To suggest what steps or strategies should be taken to reduce the rate of dropout of female students in Bangladesh.METHODOLOGYThe research methodology of the study was exploratory and explanatory in nature and was based on documentary analysis and interview method. …