Less allocation for stipend can increase dropout rate

The total allocation of stipends for students from primary to higher secondary level has been reduced by 73 percent which might increase the dropout rate, said speakers at a seminar yesterday.

The seminar on, “Child Budget 2017-18 towards the Realisation of Child Rights in Bangladesh”, was held in CIRDAP International Conference Centre in the capital.

Save the Children organised the event after analysing the Child Budget Report 2017-18, published by the finance

ministry.

These stipends have played a major role in attracting and keeping children in schools, contributing positively to increasing the enrolment rate as well as to reducing the dropout rate, said Md Ashiq Iqbal, deputy director (governance and public finance) of Save the Children.

Those stipend programmes helped ensure access to education for even the most marginalised children. Therefore, the allocation needs to be reconsidered, if possible, he added.

A total of Tk 56,000 crore has been allocated separately for children for 13 ministries and divisions in the budget of 2017-18 fiscal year, he mentioned.

State Minister for Finance MA Mannan addressed the seminar as the chief

guest while Laila Khondkar, director of Child Rights Governance and Child Protection of Save the Children, chaired the seminar.