A total of 267,138 students dropped out of school between 2018 and 2024, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament today (10).

She said the figures are based on annual school census data covering Grade 1 to Grade 10.

According to the data, dropouts were recorded each year, with the highest in 2022 and 2023.

The Prime Minister said some cases may include students who transferred, migrated abroad, or continued studies elsewhere.