Exploring the Spatial Disparities and Socio-economic Risk Factors Affecting Primary School Enrolment in Bangladesh

Abstract

Ensuring sustainable universal primary education for all school-age children in low-income nations remains a major challenge. A variety of factors are influencing a large percentage of students to drop out without completing their primary education. The main objective of this study is to identify the spatial disparities in sustainable universal enrolment rates and explore the socio-economic risk factors that could potentially influence primary school enrolment rates across Bangladesh. The spatial patterns of children’s enrolment in primary education were examined along with the associated social and economic risk factors. Spatial regression models and spatial autocorrelation approaches were employed for data analysis, using six variables obtained from World Bank data. The spatial patterns of school enrolment rates were analysed using spatial autocorrelation approaches (Local Moran I and Getis-Ord Gi*). The risk factors of primary school enrolment rates were explored using spatial regression models including ordinary least squares, spatial lag and geographically weighted regression. It was observed that a higher level of primary school enrolment clusters is found in the western regions of Bangladesh. These hot spots in geographic areas are located mostly in Khulna and Barisal divisions and some parts of Rangpur division, while the lower (cold spots) are in Chittagong and Sylhet divisions. Among the five socio-economic variables, it was observed that school enrolment is highly negatively correlated with the body weight of school-going children, whereas there is a different magnitude of positive correlation observed for the other four variables.