CAUSES OF DROPOUT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EDO STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Drop out as defined by Heritage illustrated dictionary (1970) is to withdraw from participation in a game, club, school organized society. A person who quits school before completing a course of institution or one who has withdrawn from a given social group before the achievement of the set out goal for admission is said to have dropped out.

According to the oxford elementary dictionary for Nigeria, drop out is defined as ‘someone who does not want to work and who leaves his or her school colleges, job and soon without completing it.

Most students in schools fail for a great many reasons. This failure is as a result of one thing or the other. Close to forty five percent (45%) of those who began secondary schools, drop out before they finish for one reason or the other, there are many of such students than we think, that if our standard is raised much higher as some would have us do, we will find very soon just how many would be drop out except for a handful who may or may not be good. These set of students refused to develop more than a tiny part of the tremendous capacity for discipline, learning, understanding and the art of creating of which they made full use of during their early studentship.

This problem of drop out is gaining much ground in Nigeria today especially. In Edo state. The drop out now go about to be a menace in the society of which they belong. Among them are the pocket pickers, smoker of different weeds, rapist, prostitutes and robbers. They even get themselves drugged so that they would be motivated enough to carry out their evil and immoral plans on innocent citizens. This problem has eaten deep into our society that the aim of training or sending children to school nowadays by parents are unfulfilled and discouragement.

The problem caused by these drop outs motivates the researcher to find out the causes of these drop outs which has become a part and parcel of some schools Edo state. The suggestions and recommendation arising from the study will help solve this problem in future, so that parents themselves will achieve the aim of education.

Statement of the Problems

The major problem of this research is the cause of student drop out in secondary school in Edo state. The problem poses the following questions

1. Does drop out occur in these school?
2. Is the home usually responsible for drop out?
3. Does bad company or peer group influence drop out?
4. Does bad school planning organization and administration encourage drop out?
5. Does bad teaching method encouraged drop out?

Purpose of the Study

Dropping out of school has become a societal problems in some local government areas in Edo state. It has been setting into a stumbling block on the economy and the political recognition of this areas. Some local government has been under developed for the fact that 65% percent of the people in each local government in Edo State are rural dweller and the opportunity they have educationally is very limited and the urban dweller are faced with the society problem of smuggling and farming since they know that this two jobs will fetch them an immediate gain. On the other hand the 35 percent that live in the urban areas in Edo state and have educational opportunity still have drop out living view to complete their education and fight for the right of the people in essence the few are not enough to fight for the course of the race.

The society or the whole Edo state is faced with a lot of problem ranging from underdeveloped to youth untimely death from smuggling or armed robbery to politics associated problems, unwanted pregnancy form female aspect and early marriage which some time ht the rock, this is very peculiar in every cases where it occurs.

Objectives of the Study

The objective of this research centers on digging into the root causes of drop outs in secondary schools in Edo state. Its effects on the society and possible solution, given to prevent future occurrences for the use of teachers, parent, guardian and a host of others who may have their interest at heart. Since it’s doubtful whether the few professions counselor present can handle the problems of drop outs at this crucial time. This project would want to investigate among other things.

1. To examine the causes of drop out.
2. To investigate if family size of a child would affect him negatively in the cause of his education.
3. To examine the peer group could contribute to child drop out in school.
4. To investigate the societal related factor as a contributing factor to child drop out of school.
5. To examine if the school environment could contribute to drop out relate Edo state.

Significance of the Study

Dropping out of school has became a societal problem in Nigeria because of its alarming rate which is also setting a stumbling block against the economic, society, education and political development of this country.

There has been various reports on the drop out, among secondary school who dropped out yearly. As a matter of fact, those parents, teachers, counselors, law enforcement criminologist and all other agents who have experienced prolonged contact with what is happening in our society would not deny the fact that drop out in our schools has became rampant.

We hope that this research work will help to ascertain the nature of prevalence of drop out and have a positive reduction of drop out among secondary school in Edo state.

Furthermore, the study will also proffer a variety of workable solutions or specific techniques to adopt in dealing with the drop out at the concluding part of the study.

This project would serve and be useful to researchers who might want to carry out further research on other drop out problems.

Scope of the Study

This study observe among other thing the number of secondary schools in various local government areas in Edo state. If the numbers of school is enough to take care the primary school levers.

To sample out some school within each or some local government in Edo state, that is can represent the total school in Edo state. The samples were evenly distributed to cover the whole local government in Edo state or have clear picture of the representation so as t0o make the work realistic and valid, probably the reasonable solution might be found.

Research Questions

1. What are the causes of school drop out?
2. What are teachers and students perception of the causes of school drop out?
3. What ways can we remedying the situation in Nigeria?

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