EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON SCHOOL DROPOUT AND CHILD MARRIAGE: A STUDY IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF HAOR REGION IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

The Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) has created tremendous negative impacts on the education sector all over the country, significantly in disadvantageous agricultural wetland (haor) areas of Bangladesh. The study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on school dropout and child marriage in haor areas of two districts (Netrokona and Sunamgonj) of Bangladesh. The effect of COVID-19 was estimated by different descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and intensity index. Data were collected from the 112 respondents who were regular students from primary to higher secondary levels before the pandemic. This study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the school dropout and child marriage situation in the study areas. It was found that about 59.17% of participants permanently dropped out of school while the rest (40.83%) students continued their studies. Of the total dropped-out participants, about 54% were female, and 46% were male students. Among all interviewed female students, about 59.38% were married (child marriage), whereas 89% of these married students permanently dropped out of their educational institutions. Among all participants, about 68% of students had no access to digital devices for online learning during school closures due to the pandemic. The socio-economic study found that COVID-19 highly affected the participant’s family income as it has the highest intensity index. Contribution of 12 independent variables on the effect of COVID-19 on school dropout found that gender, family size, number of earning members, monthly family income, study level, marital status, access to digital devices, condition of house, and knowledge of COVID-19 etc., significantly contributed to the dependent variable. From the 12 hypothesized relationships, five (05) variables, namely, gender, monthly family income, use of electricity, number of meals per day, condition of house etc., had a significant contribution to the dependent variable, effect of COVID-19 on child marriage in the haor areas of Bangladesh. To avert the long-term effects of long-time shutdown due to COVID-19, it is highly recommended to take concerted initiatives involving guardians, students, society and religious leaders, government, and other relevant stakeholders of the study areas. This study highly recommends an intensive focus on female education and facilitating online learning environment to achieve sustainable development goals. This study is supposed to help policymakers develop action plans for students and quick educational recovery in the disadvantaged agricultural areas, particularly haor regions of Bangladesh.