Nearly one in 10 students dropped out of national or national-type secondary schools between 2006 and 2010, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

During that period, the dropout rate was 1.32 percent for primary and 9.42 percent for secondary schools, Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong said.

"The breakdown is 0.7 percent for national schools, 4.24 percent for national-type Chinese and 1.41 percent for Tamil schools," Wee was quoted as saying, according to Bernama .

He was replying to Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Rasah), who asked for school dropout statistics according to race from 2006 to 2010.

However, not all students who made up the statistics stopped schooling, as a number may have enrolled in private institutions.

"MoE data for June 2010 showed that there were 140,000 primary and secondary students in private schools.

"The number excludes 56,000 in state primary and secondary religious school and 36,000 in people's religious schools," Wee said.

He said the enforcement of compulsory secondary education was not implemented but alternatives such as vocational schools and skills programmes were available.

The ministry was currently conducting a study to prevent school dropouts and it is expected to conclude the probe by 2012.

“The MoE is confident that it can overcome student dropout nationwide," Wee added.

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