Press Release
July 2, 2015

CHIZ BATS FOR ZERO DROPOUT RATE IN ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOLS

Sen. Chiz Escudero said the government needed to do more to keep children and teens in school, as he noted the dropout rate among elementary and high school students had remained unchanged since 2007.

Available figures from the Department of Education (DepEd) show that there has been no significant movement in dropout rates among elementary and high school students from 2007 to 2013.

The elementary dropout rate has been at 6 percent level since 2008, while that of the secondary level remained within the 7 percent level since 2007.

"This means that for every 1,000 enrollees in primary and secondary schools, there are about 60 to 70 students dropping out every year," Escudero said. "The government needs to develop more programs to encourage students and their parents to stay in schools. We must ensure a zero dropout rate."

He lamented that most of the dropouts were among the poorest and could not afford the costs associated even with free basic education.

"Just like their parents, these dropouts are destined for low-skill jobs and unemployment, thus repeating a cycle of poverty," he pointed out.

The senator underscored the need to understand and solve the problems and challenges of how to keep all students inside the classroom.

"Let us take a closer look at how many of the millions of Filipino students who attended the first day of school are indeed able to sustain the educational process and phases up to the last day. How many of them are able to proceed to the next level?" Escudero said.

"Let us study the root causes of why many of them end up being out-of-school youth. We do not want them to be out in the streets when they should be inside the classrooms, studying with their classmates."

According to the DepEd data, the elementary dropout rates for school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 were 6.02 percent, 6.28 percent, 6.29 percent, 6.38 percent and 6.81 percent, respectively.

For high school, the dropout rates for school years 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 were 7.45 percent, 7.45 percent, 7.95 percent, 7.79 percent, and 7.82 percent. There was no available data for school year 2012-2013.

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