The participation rate of young people aged 12 to 14 years in lower secondary school is currently
reported to be higher than 60%,36 compared with 2005 when it was only 53.6%.37 Though there has
been a recent expansion of lower secondary education across the country, in rural areas the lower
secondary participation rates continue to lag because many rural parts of the country still do not
have secondary schools. Attendance at lower secondary school no longer requires the payment of
tuition fees. Scholarships to support girls and young people from very poor backgrounds are having
a positive impact on participation rates, but the goal of achieving universal participation in lower
secondary schooling by 2015 seems too challenging.