BEIJING — The number of dropouts in the nine-year compulsory education stage in China had fallen to 2,419 as of Sept 15, down from around 600,000 in 2019, an official with China's Ministry of Education said on Sept 23.

The net enrollment rate for primary education, the proportion of primary school students in the total age group population, was 99.94 percent in 2019, Vice Education Minister Zheng Fuzhi said at a press conference.

Some school-age children are unable to attend school this year mostly due to physical challenges, Zheng said, noting that tailor-made education services are being provided in their homes.