School Dropout Pattern among Senior Secondary Schools in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of dropout among secondary school students in Delta State. To guide this study, 7 research questions were asked and answered, 3 hypotheses stated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The design of study was Expost facto using the past school attendance registers as the major instrument. The samples of the study consisted of 120 senior secondary schools and 120 vice principals. The collected data were expressed in percentages, and analyzed with t-test statistic. The major findings of this study included: (i) a higher percentage of dropouts in SSI, and a decline in SSII; (ii) a higher percentage of dropouts among females in all parameters; (iii) a higher percentage of dropouts in rural schools; (iv) a higher percentage of dropouts in mixed schools; (v) a higher percentage of dropouts in public schools; (vi) a significant difference on percentage dropouts between male and female single sex schools; (vii) a significant difference on percentage of dropouts between mixed and single sex schools; and (viii) a significant difference on percentage dropouts between schools in urban and rural areas. It was concluded that the single most important factor, which influenced pattern of dropouts, was student's sex.

In or Out: Examining the Drivers of School Dropout among Basic School Pupils in the Wa Municipality, Ghana

“…2007observed that family issues such as low support for education, conflict between work and education to support the family and poverty resulting in hunger prevent pupils from completing basic education. According to Ajaja [39] residing in a deprived neighbourhood, associating with people with low educational aspiration and having friends or siblings who are dropouts have the tendency to make one a dropout. A study by (2014) revealed that household poverty, child labour or excess household chores that overburden pupils, broken home, drug abuse and health related issues propel pupils to drop out of school.…”

Conceptualization of the Premature School Exit Phenomenon in Mashonaland Region of Zimbabwe: The Voice of Early School Leavers

“…Premature school exit has been defined as the ultimate withdrawal from school or an action in which a person becomes detached from a group or system, voluntarily or involuntarily (Ajaja, 2012; Brown, 2010). Le Compte and Dworkin (1991) explain it as any pupil of any age who leaves school for any reason other than death, before graduation or completion of a program of studies and without transferring to another elementary school or simply leaving school earlier than at the expected exit point.…”

“…There is compelling evidence that premature school exit is a global challenge (Ajaja, 2012; Patrick, 2008). An important observation is that since the 20th century, school completion rates have shown a general improvement and risen to 89.9% (Bowers et al, 2013).…”

The Effectiveness of Corporal Punishment in Dealing with Deviant Behaviour in Pupils in Schools

“…The feeling among some teachers is that pupils who are corporally punished by the school head for the offenses they commit in the classroom do not appreciate the teacher's responsibility in controlling their behaviour but only the school head's (Ajaja, 2012). They say that this may cause disciplinary problems for the teacher in the classroom.…”