Over 8,000 school drop outs re-enrolled

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

The Child Development and Women’s Affairs Ministry re-enrolled 8,091 children, who left school due to various reasons, Child Development and Women’s Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda said.

These children had left school without completing studies due to various reasons such as economic burdens, parents’ deaths, mother or father leaving the family, issues arising in the school and transport issues, he said.

The ministry was able re-enroll 4,541 children to school last year and 3,550 this year, the minister said.

The ministry allocated Rs 11 million towards this project from 2011. These allocations are being used to facilitate students who recommenced their studies. The ministry will provide such students with school material and financial assistance, Karaliyadda said.

He said under this programme, each student in the primary or secondary class, is given a Rs 1,500 monthly allowance, which can be used for studies.

Advanced Level students are paid Rs 2,000 each.