Dreams Stalled at the Threshold of Secondary Education
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Despite beginning their academic journey with high hopes, many students in the Rangpur region are failing to complete secondary education, with dropout rates rising alarmingly. The trend is more severe in rural areas compared to urban schools. Even after studying for up to five years at the secondary level, many students are entering the labor market before sitting for their final examinations.
Economic hardship is forcing children from poor families to take on financial responsibility at an early age, pushing them out of education midway. In other cases, lack of parental awareness has led to early marriages of school-going girls. Some students are also skipping examinations due to inadequate preparation.
The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations for this year began on April 21. In the first exam, Bengali First Paper, held under the Dinajpur Education Board in the Rangpur division, 1,178 candidates were absent. The number of absentees has gradually increased in subsequent exams.
Many students who appeared in the first exam also skipped later ones. On April 23, a total of 123 candidates did not sit for the Bengali Second Paper exam. On April 26, another 286 students were absent from the English First Paper exam. On April 28, 39 candidates missed the English Second Paper exam.
By May 12, the total number of absent candidates across 11 examinations reached around 1,700. The information was confirmed in the daily SSC examination report issued by Professor Borhan Uddin, Controller of Examinations of the Dinajpur Education Board.
Sources said a total of 141,220 candidates are appearing in this year’s SSC examinations under the Dinajpur Board across eight districts of the Rangpur division. So far, around 1,700 students have dropped out or remained absent. A total of 283 examination centers are conducting the exams this year.
The absence rate stood at 0.83% on the first day. It rose to 0.92% on the second day. On the third day, it increased to 1.5%, while on the exam held on May 12, the rate stood at 1.14%.
District-wise, the number of absent candidates includes 194 in Rangpur, 218 in Gaibandha, 123 in Nilphamari, 120 in Kurigram, 112 in Lalmonirhat, 255 in Dinajpur, 120 in Thakurgaon, and 97 in Panchagarh.
Compared to last year, the number of absentees is slightly lower this year. A total of 1,341 candidates were absent on the first day of the SSC exams in 2024. That year, out of 200,444 candidates, 2,260 remained absent. In 2023, a total of 2,971 candidates were absent out of 202,462 examinees. In 2022, the figure stood at 2,269 out of 176,846.
A source at the Dinajpur Education Board said parents almost universally aspire to educate their children to higher levels, but many students fail to achieve that goal due to various obstacles, with education often ending at the secondary stage.
The source added that although the dropout rate has slightly decreased compared to previous years, the issue remains concerning. Every year, around 150,000 students pass the SSC examinations under the board in the Rangpur division, but more than 50,000 do not sit for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations after two years of college education.
According to observers, early marriage, poverty, poor performance in preparatory exams, and parental negligence are key reasons behind student dropout.
Field reports show that at the Burirhat High School center in Rangpur city, four students have remained absent this year out of more than 300 examinees from seven nearby institutions. Among them is a female student from Gulalbadai High School.
The headmaster of the school, Sakhawat Hossain, said the student was married despite being among the 100 examinees from his institution. She was advised to appear in the exam but did not attend. Efforts to contact another absent student, Rubel Mia of Taluk Habu High School, were unsuccessful.
His father, Ekramul Haque, said, “We can’t manage the household anymore. How can we afford his education? My son has gone to Dhaka for work.”
A teacher from the institution confirmed that Rubel Mia had completed his exam registration but did not appear for the tests despite attempts to reach him before the examinations.
Professor Dr. Tuhin Wadud of the Department of Bengali at Begum Rokeya University said many families struggle to bear the cost of education after students move beyond secondary level, while some students lose interest and discontinue studies on their own. He identified socio-economic factors as the main reason for the declining number of SSC candidates.
He added that parents often worry about the safety of girls and marry them off before examinations, while boys are sometimes forced into work due to family crises. “For many, earning a livelihood becomes more important than continuing education. Government agencies must come forward to address this issue,” he said.
Controller of Examinations of the Dinajpur Education Board Professor Borhan Uddin said absentee numbers are gradually increasing in each subject examination. He noted that 1,178 students were absent on the first day of this year’s SSC exams, compared to 1,341 last year.
He added that not all SSC pass students continue under the same board, and many enter the workforce for various reasons. However, he acknowledged that while the dropout rate has decreased compared to the past, the issue still requires further review.
