‘Not sure what percentage of students dropped out during pandemic’

The percentage of students who dropped out during the closure of schools due to the Covid-19 pandemic could not be ascertained yet, Education Minister Dipu Moni said today.

"We're receiving assignments from over 90 percent of the students. That means they have not dropped out. Many parents are still not sending their children to school out of fear, so the attendance is not cent percent," she said.

The minister said this while speaking at a programme at Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, marking the Community Policing Day.

Number of students in schools will go up if the Covid situation improves further and schools will be abuzz with their presence, she said.

"During the closure of schools, many female students were married off. We have instructed teachers to take steps to bring these students back to schools," she said

Deputy Commissioner (acting) Daud Hossain Chowdhury and Superintendent of Police Milon Mahbub were present at the event.