IPOH, March 30 — State Education, Higher Learning and Human Resources committee chairman Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud today told the state assembly that underage marriages are one of the main reasons for students to drop out of schools in Perak. 

He said that among other factors that contribute to school dropouts were poverty, family problems, health problems, lack of interest in education, disciplinary problems, transportation problems and fear. 

However, he said in some cases, students continued studies again in boarding schools, international schools and schools that are not registered with the Education Ministry such as the madrasah (religious schools).

"While a small number end up selecting ‘home school’ or follow their families in moving abroad,” he said. 

Ahmad Saidi was answering a question by Teja assemblyman Sandrea Ng on the students' dropout rates in Perak and its factors. 

He said that the average dropout rate recorded from 2018 to 2021 for primary schools in Perak was between 0.03 and 0.06 per cent. 

For secondary schools, Ahmad Saidi said the percentage of student dropout was around 0.7 to 0.9 percent of the total number of students registered under the students database application. 

For Orang Asli Student Schools (SMOA), he said that the percentage of attendance and dropouts varied over the past four years. 

"For the year 2018, the attendance percentage for Orang Asli students was 90.15 per cent while the dropout percentage was 0.85 per cent. In 2019, the attendance percentage was 91.4 per cent and the dropout percentage was 0.72 per cent. 

"In 2020, the attendance percentage dropped to 87.16 per cent due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the dropout percentage was at 1.35 per cent. Meanwhile, for 2021, the attendance percentage increased to 90.28 per cent and the dropout percentage was at 0.82 per cent,” he said. 

In order to address the issue of dropouts among Orang Asli students, Ahmad Saidi said several initiatives and efforts have been taken by the Education Ministry, including providing various assistance such as free textbooks, Supplementary Meal Plans (RMT) and the construction of school hostels.