Dropout of Children from Schools in Nepal : A study of Rupandehi District

Large number of children dropout of schools, especially in the primary and secondary level of schooling in Rupandehi district of Nepal.The situation is even worse for those of the backward and socially disadvantaged populations and of the rural and the remote areas. Poverty, low household income, child marriage,child work and labour are the major reasons for dropping out of children from schools followed by corporal punishment, poor infrastructural facilities ,lack of teaching learning behaviour, failing exams.Children have to face both physical and mental consequences of not attending school. Use of alcohol and cigarettes and feelings of exclusion in the society is frequently observed. Most of the children who drop out are engaged in some forms of labour or work, including household chores, taking care of livestocks and younger siblings. Interventions such as increase in the amount and management of scholarship programmes, improvement in the physical infrastructures of schools, child friendly teaching activities, and automatic promotion of grades help to reduce the problem of dropout. In addition, re-introducing the mid-day meal programme at school might be beneficial.