Around 20,000 children drop out of schools annually: PM

8 August 2025 01:49 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 9 Bookmark

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Colombo, August 8 (Daily Mirror) - Around 20,000 children drop out of schools in Sri Lanka every year, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said.

She revealed this information during a discussion on education reforms with Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.

“We have a number of issues with regard to education today. A research conducted by my Ministry has revealed that around 20,000 children drop out of schools in Sri Lanka annually. Around 300,000 are admitted to schools annually. Only a portion of students enter university. Some others go abroad for higher studies. We are looking towards addressing these issues,” the Premier told Cardinal Ranjith.

Cardinal Ranjith stressed the need for an education system which helps a child to make use of his or her inborn abilities and embark on an appropriate career path.

“The issue today is that everyone looks for well paid jobs. The other issue is that many do not have technological skills to obtain gainful employment,” he said.

Comments - 9

Lanka Friday, 08 August 2025 02:31 PM

Thank you for this disclosure and it is a brave statement to say that : what do we learn from this ? We have neglected those families and their children and their future? Who is responsible for this ? Is it parents Is it their families ? It is their guardians ? Is it your ministry of education? Of course not yours but all previous education ministers and their officials are responsible for not know these children and not get them back to education: Our police too have a responsibility to bring them back to schools Plan out a system to punish all those families who don’t send their kids to schools Punish them financially or otherwise so that next generation will have a bright future: In nutshell it is responsibility of the government to do something about it Our education officials are blind and they don’t guide the education minister on this

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Zarook Saturday, 09 August 2025 12:40 AM

Kids drop out because they are dirt poor. Yoda Pachini no action Pacha talking only. Enjoying super luxury vehicles similar to kaputas.

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Pack of lies Friday, 08 August 2025 03:49 PM

How can we trust the figures you put out? Some other minister would come and disclose a different figure. Sorry, the NPP government's credence has waned!

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Naushad Farouque Samoon Friday, 08 August 2025 05:06 PM

Oh My Dear! Thats a Lot of untapped employment??? 76 years of dismal politicians with NO foresight planning ??? DISGRACEFUL utter incompetent They should be incarcerated for life With so much printed money sloshing around CRIME PAYS???

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Hew Friday, 08 August 2025 08:10 PM

Poverty is the underliying cause. The poor cannot afford a decent meal, buy good books and send their children to private tuition.

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Ragavan Friday, 08 August 2025 10:52 PM

Please bring in compulsory education up to the age of 16. The families should be assessed and help in the form of school uniforms, books and stationeries provided.The children should be assessed in the presence of the parents in a parents day when they reach pre GCSE class. They should go into after assessment into academic or non academic lines. Even if they are to go abroad a sound knowledge in STEM subjects at GCE LEVEL is a must.

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Dr Tissa Fernando Saturday, 09 August 2025 03:37 AM

School drop outs are not entirely useless. Some become politicians as we have Local Government, Provincial Councils, Parliament. Some become businessmen, some join the security forces, some become craftsmen, some go abroad , some become farmers and day labourers. So you have to have a proper plan to develop the human resources for a useful purpose. Since the PM is not a JVP member, she makes sense.

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vdot Saturday, 09 August 2025 04:10 AM

My experience as a teacher in 5 different venues , and all in the state sector , ..backed by statistics obtained on drop outs I obtained from the dept ., made me conclude that drop out related directly to the curriculum. so irrelevant to life styles in the society . or that the exam oriented teaching models ,created an elitist attitude that blunted the aspirations of students ...Models of achievement we encouraged students narrowed down to a few professions of value for upward social mobility ..thus an attitude of failure was created in the minds of those otherwise talented .My teaching experience in Melbourne made me realize that a student who went out of a secondary school in year 10 where no public exam backing was provided , yet carried out a vocational training as a tradesman and earned well ..so lets change the system to a broader spectrum . to erase failure in the minds of our youth ..our future .

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Jeeves Saturday, 09 August 2025 12:13 PM

Many factors contribute to this high drop out rate. Social studies to explore this would be beneficial. However, sending migrant workers abroad is impacting on social structure of families left behind; especially absence of either parent! Far better to encourage/ find work opportunities with training for these people locally. Children need a stable household/ environment to thrive, which includes continuing with their education.

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