A total of 267,138 children dropped out of school between 2018 and 2024, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya revealed in Parliament today (10).

Responding to a question raised in the House, the Prime Minister stated that the government does not have definitive data on school dropouts from 2010 to the early part of 2017.

She said the figures for 2018 to 2024 were calculated based on annual school census reports, using an internationally recognized formula that considers enrolment figures and dropout rates from Grade 1 to Grade 10.

According to the data, 38,839 students dropped out of school in 2018, 41,503 in 2019, 32,540 in 2020, 25,492 in 2021, 52,596 in 2022, 50,345 in 2023, and 25,823 in 2024.

However, Prime Minister Amarasuriya noted that not all students identified as having left the school system had necessarily discontinued their education. Some may have transferred to schools in other provinces, enrolled in international schools, or migrated overseas with their families while continuing their studies, Prime Minister Amarasuriya noted.

She added that such cases could not be separately identified through the methodology used to compile the statistics.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated that the key reasons for students leaving school include personal factors, school-related issues, family circumstances, social influences, and a shift towards other educational opportunities.