More girls in school, but gender imbalance at universities

The number of female candidates in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations has been rising by leaps and bounds over the past few years, with girls taking advantage of the increasing educational opportunities despite societal challenges. Educationists have urged the government to now address the dropout rate of female students, as it is imperative to ensure that all students complete their education, writes Mamun Abdullah for Dhaka Tribune.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics, the ratio of male and female students is almost equal among students who participated in the secondary and higher secondary examinations in the last five years. However, just 36.30% of students are female at the university level.

According to the ministry of Education, the number of SSC candidates has increased by 50,295 this year. Of them, around 80% (38,609) are female students. Deputy Minister for Education Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel believes that employment and financial challenges are the reason for the lower number of female students at the higher education level.
Full report on the Dhaka Tribune site