Girls’ dropout rate may rise after school reopening: survey

One in 10 girls said they may not go back to school after reopening because of economic problems and marriage, found a study by the Population Council, circulated yesterday.

The research organisation followed a group of 479 girls aged between 12-15 years from April to September to track their lives through the pandemic. The average age of the girls was 14 years and they were from the districts of Chapainawabganj, Kushtia and Sherpur.

When the first round of interviews began in April, seven percent of the girls were already married in spite of being underage. By Septemer, 35 more girls got married. Discussion of marriage and matchmaking also began for a significant number of girls, reported the study.

The report states that by mid-June, 52 girls reported child marriages happening in their community, and by September's end, a further 100 girls reported underage marriages happening around them.

"Although most girls reported studying independently with help from family members, the percentage of girls not studying at all significantly increased from 1 percent (in April) to 5 percent (in June) to 10 percent (in September)," said the report.

These factors have also negatively affected the mental health of the girls, the study said.

"Four out of five girls reported depressive symptoms, which have increased over time," it said. In April, a month into the pandemic, 61 percent of the girls had depressive symptoms, which increased to 74 in June, and 79 percent in September.

Their family's incomes however increased from April. While the lockdown was in full-swing, 69 percent of the girls reported that their family income has stopped or been reduced severely, and 4 percent were directly earning themselves.

In September, when the study ended, the proportion of girls whose families had lost income decreased to 44 percent. "But households are still cutting back on important needs such as protein in meals, sanitary pads, clothing, and health services," said the study.