With the opening of the new school year on 1st June, with the support from development partners in these areas, a large number of stipends and grants have been provided to students particularly at primary level. The purpose is support the Ministry of Education in implementing their “Free Primary Education for All” programme, which aims to increase enrolment and reduce drop-out rates.
The current net enrolment ratio (NER) is 86.4% at primary level, dropping drastically at middle school level where NER is less than half of eligible students, thus leaving less than one third of students enrolled. Only just above 10% make it into higher education institutions. 1 The drop-out rate is mostly correlated with low social economic status.
This school grant scheme hopes to increase the net enrolment ratio at basic education level and subsequently increase the presently poor enrolment figures at Higher Education level.
These figures represents the state-school sector under jurisdiction of Ministry of Education and do not reflect the private international schools sector that is aimed at a niche and elite target audience.
Source: Seven Days Daily News