School fees – The State pays school fees from primary school up to university level. From primary school up to and including O-Level, the state pays also for school books and school uniforms. All other costs have to be covered by parents and relatives or from other sources. There are primary schools in most villages. Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary School can usually only be attended in regional schools. For the Collegiate Level (A-Level) young people have to leave the village, as colleges are generally only available in larger cities.
Reasons for dropping out of school – Some parents in rural areas send their children to elementary school (up to grade 5), but afterwards they, like their parents, have to work in tea or rubber plantations and contribute to the family’s livelihood. Other reasons are often apparently simpler problems, such as long distances to school and too little income to pay for school materials, sewing school uniforms, buying shoes, socks and ties, as well as bus or three-wheeler costs. As there are often only primary schools in the villages, additional accommodation and food costs have to be paid for children who live in remote areas and have no choice but to stay at school during the week.
Another reason for dropping out of school early is the cost of additional or extra tuition. Teachers in rural areas are often not very well trained, which means that “normal lessons” are often not sufficient for graduation. Many parents cannot afford the necessary additional or extra tuition.