The Causes and Effects of Dropout in Some Selected Secondary Schools; A Case Study of Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to find out the causes and effects of school dropout in the locality.
The researcher wants to know the problem face by students in secondary school, which lead to dropout.
Also the researcher wants to know the effects of these dropouts in the society or locality.
The researcher also wants to know the causes of these problems that are faced by students, which leads to their dropout from secondary schools.
The researcher wants to find solution to the problems of school dropout in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo state.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
In this chapter an attempt has been made to outline briefly some the major causes and effect of school dropouts in the local government area. In this chapter a review of related publication where some of the causes and effects of school dropout have been discussed.
According to Jonathan Crowther {1995} in advanced learners dictionary, says dropout means a person who withdraw from a course of study.
According to Ogbebor {1998} in his book “notes on educational psychology in Nigeria” a child who is not able to complete his primary secondary and higher school career while there is every opportunity for him to do so may be regarded as a school dropout. This belief is also shared by many people because majority of the children who have fallen into he category did do, not because their parents has no money to pay their school fees or that they were physically unfit.
According to Adebayo (1979) in principle and practice of education 1979 has this to say on student dropout, lack of school material makes many pupils dropout of school.
If a child has no exercise books, he could be punished by the teacher and as such run away from school.
The teacher may be harsh, but failure to comply with school requirements contributes to the causes of student dropout in order to inculcate discipline in class the teachers has to be firm and give equal measures of treatment to his students. But one find out that, some student would see it as a challenge which they should be equal to some would see as enough to withdraw them from school.
Similarly, the way parent train their children has been found to make what they could later become evidence has shown in the local government area that parent who do not give correction to children have always made them never do well in later years, possibly ending up as student dropout also those who dictate whatever their children would do could make such children become withdrawal from school, which could equally leads to school dropout.
According to Vicente {1977) he said “malnutrition and disease associated with poverty is also a result and causes of school dropout, hunger is capable of distracting attention in class children run between the s topped cars trying to sell candies in hopes of getting a few coins. When a child is not properly nourished, that child academic performance is bound to be affected.
Also an ailing child cannot do well in class since the pains resulting to the disease affecting him could divert his mind from normal school process and on the long run could send him packing without completing his education.
The causes and effect of school dropout in schools:
- Lack of genuine interest
- Prevalence of child labour
- Pressure of domestic commitments
- Economic constraints
- Early marriages
As far as punctuality is concerned, it was observed that very few children were on time. Late coming was a special feature for manual workers and the main reason was that:
- They have to attend to domestic duties and do one.
- Their children would not get up early.
- They could not have their breakfast on time.
Awake {2005} cause of student dropout using them as a case study, they joined new friends in engaging in immoral conduct and experimenting with drugs. Realizing that their life style was no longer compatible with education then abandoned their school and stopped attending lesson.
Florida and California indicated that 20% have shared drugs other than alcohol with their parents and that about 5% of the teens actually were introduced to drugs usually marijuana by their mum and dads. What would move a person to do such parent confessed, I told her rather have her do it at home where I could help on eye on her” other apparently feel that sharing drugs is a way to “bond” with their children. All those things can lead children fro dropout of school.
In the same vein, it goes to say that the school can contribute to school dropout when they refused to inculcate the spirit of self reliance in the student they may not see with any teacher who could come late to school. The teacher equally contributes to school dropout if he punishes the student for assignments without investigate what led to the student not doing the assignment. It therefore become imperatively advisable for the teacher to try find out why most students do not do their homework than see assignment as a punishment.
Some teachers do not know how to use instructional materials scholars have made attempts to classify instructional resources into different categories. Amongst such scholars are Selarat {1972}, Bell-Gam {1992 and 1995} and Ughamadu {1992} Sekrem for instance classified instructional resources into big and little, media, big media are expensive materials such as over head projector, slid projector, filmstrip projector and television. All these materials produce pictures. Little media on the other hand are less expensive materials such as television, chalkboard, wall chart, magnetic board and planned graph the materials can either be bought or be produce by the classroom teacher. Some teachers do not know how to use this material; they do not know how to use it to teach. The student will not have interest in such class; this can lead to dropout in school.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
THE DESIGN OF THE STUDY
The design of the study used by the research is the survey method, because it is based on the student perception i.e. opinion.
POPULATION
The population is all the secondary school in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo state.
SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
The sample is made up of 25 questions each for the four schools in Ovia North East local government area, using the random sampling.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The instrument to be used in this study is the questionnaire, comprising of twenty questions. Items in the questionnaire were designed in a way that the respondents can answer “Yes or No”.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter deals with the analysis of data that were collected from respondents in the study area according to the calculation of percentage.
Question 1
Does financial problem causes dropout in school?
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Analysis of result revealed that significant factors precipitating dropout in secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo state are personal factors, environment influence and home background. The dropout in this area is a crucial problem.
Respondent agree that in Ovia North East local Government Area, there are interdependent factors collectively predisposing the student to dropout of school. Why these result obtained could be attributed to perhaps, lack of guidance and counseling services, lack of career poor orientation to academic life ,lack of ambition and negative philosophy of life.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
In this research project questionnaire was used to investigate factors influencing dropout in secondary school.
The 100 respondents from Ovia North East Local Government Area were randomly sample out from four secondary schools and studied. Data analysis from the respondents revealed that influential factor of school dropout in this area included ill health, financial problem, peer group influence, indiscipline, poor classroom interaction, child abuse, immaturity, cultism, broken homes, death of parents and lack of school materials.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
This research project has discovered that the rate of students’ dropout in Ovia North East Local Government Area was statistically significantly high. Therefore, it is recommended that:
- Good health facilities should be provided
- Cultism should be abolished.
- Government should give guidance and counseling services to students in this area.
- Teachers and parents should cooperate to discipline students.
REFERENCES
- Adebayo P. O. (1979), Principle and Practice of Education Ibadan Omolayo Standard Press and Bookshop Co. Ltd.
- Austin U. Osunde and victor H. Bell-Gam {2001} principles and method of teaching.
- Awake (2005) Causes of Students Dropout Using them as a Case Study.
- Awake {October 8, 2004} teen pregnancy a global tragedy.
- Banyo, S. A. (1985) West Africa Teachers “Handbook London, University of Ibadan.
- Jonathan Crowther (1995) In Advanced Learners Dictionary
- Ogbebor (1998) Notes on Educational Psychology in Nigeria.
- Relses A. J. (1981) Delinquency as the failure of Personal and Social Controls American
- Sail S. A (1980), Asian Institute for Rural Development, India, Paris, UNESCO.
