2.66 Lakh Students Drop Out of Primary Schools in Mymensingh in Six Years

The number of students in government primary schools across Mymensingh has fallen by 266,202 over the past six years, dropping from 692,024 in 2020 to 425,822 in 2026. The district also recorded a 3.41% dropout rate among primary students this year. The figures emerged from an analysis of data from 2,140 government primary schools across 13 upazilas of Mymensingh.

According to the District Primary Education Office, the number of students stood at around 548,000 in 2021 before falling to 427,000 in 2022. It rose to 469,000 in 2023 and stood at 466,000 in 2024, before increasing again to 538,000 in 2025. However, enrolment fell sharply again this year. Compared with 2025, the number of students dropped by 112,178 in 2026. The latest survey also found that 3.41% of students in the district dropped out this year.

Gafargaon has the highest dropout rate among the upazilas, at around 4.6%. The number of students enrolled in government primary schools there fell from 60,815 in 2020 to 35,027 this year. Gafargaon Upazila Primary Education Officer (Acting) Mohammad Abu Sayeed attributed the decline to several factors.

“Parents’ lack of awareness, teacher shortages and institutional infrastructure problems are among the main reasons.”

Tarakanada has the second-highest dropout rate, at 4%. Student enrolment there declined from 60,820 in 2020 to 29,723 this year. Tarakanada Upazila Education Officer Jibon Ara Begum said officials were trying to increase enrolment by raising awareness among parents. However, she said the situation in Tarakanada had some additional factors.

Jibon Ara Begum said many families in rural areas are religiously inclined and send their children to madrasas, while others enrol their children in kindergartens.

The decline in student numbers in Mymensingh’s government primary schools is not solely attributable to dropouts. While fewer children are enrolling in government primary schools, some parents are increasingly choosing madrasas and kindergartens. Poverty, child labour and other social and economic factors are also contributing to the situation.

Mymensingh District Primary Education Officer Md Shafiqul Islam said the shift towards private schools and madrasas after the Covid-19 pandemic was one reason for the decline in enrollment.

However, he did not attribute student dropouts to teacher shortages. According to him, poverty, child labour and various social and economic factors are more significant causes of students leaving primary education.

The decline has persisted despite temporary increases in enrolment. After falling to 427,000 in 2022, student numbers increased somewhat in 2023 and 2025, but the growth was not sustained. This year, enrolment fell sharply again.

Education officials say it will be difficult to reverse the trend without increasing parents’ awareness, making schools more attractive to students and addressing the social and economic barriers that keep children away from primary education.