Young people belong in school, not at work
Why are so many out of school then?
It is alarming to know that a staggering 40.72 percent of the population aged between five and 24 years were not in educational institutions last year, as revealed by a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) report. In other words, these young individuals were not receiving any form of education as they are supposed to in their formative years, thus setting themselves and the nation back significantly. This is deeply concerning.
The BBS report further said that 39.88 percent of those aged between 15 and 24 were out of education, work or training. It shows at a time when these individuals are supposed to have the most creativity and energy, society at large is failing to provide them with any scope to utilise their potential. This situation has been particularly worse since 2019 as the out-of-education population rose by 11.45 percentage points in the intervening years.
According to the University Grants Commission, compared to 2020, the number of university students fell by 2,49,159 the following year. In the same period, 62,104 secondary students and 14,50,719 primary students dropped out. While the Covid-19 pandemic played a big role in this drop, the fact that the situation has not improved over the last two years—after the pandemic's impact started to wear off—shows the lack of government effort and success to bring children back to school. The plight of female students was especially notable, as many girls dropped out of schools and got married off, severely limiting their future prospects.
Given the realities of our country, pre-tertiary schooling is particularly essential as, without it, even getting low-paying jobs can be difficult. To achieve our vision of becoming a developed country, this situation needs to change urgently. Whatever barriers that are in the way of young people utilising their potential—such as poverty, politics, and poor policymaking—must be removed. Another important thing that the government must address is the plight of over 3.4 million street children, who must be rehabilitated and educated properly for the sake of our future.