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In many developing countries, getting children into school is no longer the main challenge. Enrolment in primary education has grown steadily over the past three decades, and in several regions it is now close to universal. The real problem, education specialists say, begins a few years later, when a significant share of teenagers quietly leave the classroom before finishing secondary school.

The reasons behind this trend are varied. Poverty remains the most frequently cited factor, since many adolescents feel pressure to earn money to support their families. Yet economic hardship alone does not explain the whole picture. Studies conducted in different countries show that students who repeat a grade are far more likely to drop out, partly because they feel embarrassed to study alongside younger classmates. Early pregnancy, long distances between home and school, and a curriculum that seems disconnected from the job market also play a role.

Dropping out has consequences that go well beyond the individual. Young people who abandon their studies tend to earn lower wages throughout their lives and are more vulnerable to unemployment. Some research has also linked low schooling to higher rates of involvement in crime, although the authors of these studies warn that the relationship is complex and should not be read as simple cause and effect.

To tackle the problem, governments have tried several strategies. Cash transfer programmes, which pay families on condition that their children attend classes, have produced encouraging results in some places. Other initiatives focus on identifying students at risk early on, by monitoring absences and grades. Whatever the approach, specialists agree on one point: once a teenager has left school, bringing him or her back is much harder than preventing the departure in the first place.