In a parliamentary session held yesterday, Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha revealed that a staggering 307,318 schoolchildren in Sri Lanka dropped out of schools between 2012 and 2021. Responding to an oral question raised by MP B.Y.G. Ratnasekera, the Minister disclosed that these dropouts encompassed students from grades one to ten.
The data presented by the Minister highlighted fluctuations in the number of dropouts over the specified period. Notably, the figures demonstrated a reduction in dropouts to 22,765 in 2020 from 27,590 in 2019. Moreover, there was a further decline to 19,924 in 2021, indicating that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on school dropout rates was less severe than initially anticipated.
Despite the concerning dropout trend, Minister Premajayantha shared a positive note by reporting that 166,418 students received vocational training in 2021, a notable increase from 144,919 in the preceding year, 2020. This suggests ongoing efforts to provide alternative educational pathways for those who may not have continued traditional schooling.
