The purpose of this study was to make an investigation into the magnitude,rnand location of wastage in primary schools of Bahir Dar Awraja. Attempts werernalso made to identify the major factors that contribute to wastage of highrnmagnitude. Whether or not pupils' teachers' and school characteristic variable~rnare related with rate of wastage was one of the major purposes of this study.rnData regarding pupils enrollment repetition and dropouts were obtained fromrnAwraja Educational office and from the 16 sample schools, that were selectedrnrandomly. The study included 102 teachers, 301 pupils and 16 school principals.rnQuestionnaires and interview schedules were the instruments of data collection.rnThe data gathered from documents, and through questionnaires and interview werernanalysed using percentages and other statistical techniques such as the chi-square,rnmultiple and stepwise regression analysis. To determione the magnitude of wastagernthe Reconstructed Cohort method was used with certain modification. Using thern1985/86 first grade starting cohort, the output/input proportion was determined.rnThe findings have indicated that, of the total number of pupils who enteredrngrade one 1985/86 academic year only about 55 percent reached grade two andrnabout 22 percent completed their primary education at the end of the sixth year.rnIt was found that wastage rate was higher in the first grade, among girls than amongrnboys, in rural than in urban schools. Being a repeater or a promotee does notrnnecessarily be the function of personal family background characteristics. Thernmultiple and step-wise regression results have indicated that teacher, and schoolrncharacteristic variables were found important to explain wastage rate. It was thusrnrevealed that internal factors of wastage were more important than external factors.rnThe findings, there -fore, suggest that improving these variables may make arnconsiderable change in the quality and quantity of education children are providedrnwith. Based on these findings andrnth~ conclusionsrndrawn it was recommended thatrnmeasures regarding the improvement of teacher training, the application ofrnOUtomatic promotion in the first three grades, separation of primary schools fromrnjunior secondary schools and the suspension of the practice of the shift system inrnprimary schools be taken to minimize the prevailing magnitude of wastage.