267,138 school children dropped out between 2018 and 2024: PM

By Yohan Perera and  Ajith Siriwardana   

Some 267,138 children have dropped out of schools between the years 2018 to 2024, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament yesterday.   

The Prime Minister came up with this information as response to an oral question raised by MP Hesha Withanage.   
She said there is no data available on school dropouts from the year 2010 up to 2017.   

MP Withanage who responded said non availability of data on school dropouts is humiliating. “ It is a shame that this important data pertaining to school children are missing,” he said.