The government has taken a series of measures including stipends, free uniforms and school feeding programmes to prevent dropout among poor and disadvantaged children in primary schools, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj told parliament on Tuesday.

He was responding to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Muhammad Abdul Khaleq who represents Satkhira-2 constituency.

The MP said many children from poor and low-income families in his constituency and in Satkhira district are at risk of dropping out of school due to financial hardship and family problems, and asked whether the government has any special plan to expand stipends, learning materials and school-based support for such children.

The state minister said a stipend programme at the primary level will keep children attracted to school and school feeding project is running in 150 upazilas with a mid-day meal programme now being rolled out in a second phase covering 349 upazilas.

Free distribution of school uniforms to government primary school students, alongside efforts to provide bags, shoes and other learning materials are among the measures, he said.

The other measurers are free four-colour textbooks handed to every primary school student on the first day of the year, an inclusive education programme to bring girls, children with disabilities, children from small ethnic communities and other disadvantaged children into mainstream government primary schools regardless of religion, caste or tribe.

Besides, funds were allocated to upazilas and thanas based on demand to procure and distribute assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, hearing aids and spectacles for children with special needs, he said.

The steps are also included participation of students in the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament (for boys and girls), from school to national level, to encourage children to stay in school, pre-primary "5+" programme running in all government primary schools, along with a pilot "4+" pre-primary class in 8,214 government primary schools to promote early childhood education and Annual observance of "National Primary Education Week" and the awarding of Primary Education Medals to students for outstanding achievement.