Between 2004 and 2007, 13,844 students dropped out of the primary school system, representing 4% of the national population.
And according to Evelyn Hamilton, Chief Planning Officer of the Ministry of Education, the situation is much worse, particularly in primary and secondary schools in hinterland areas like Region 1 and Region 9, where rates are more than tripled.
Hamilton, in a presentation to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services at Parliament Buildings last Friday, said learning disabilities, emotional problems, early adult responsibilities and parenthood were the major contributing factors to children dropping out of schools. These are also coupled with poor attendance, low education expectations, low socio-economic status, poor education of parents, large number of siblings and not living with natural parents. Hamilton listed limited opportunities for academic success; limited resources in schools as well as high pupil/teacher ratios as other factors contributing to the drop-out rates.
Hamilton added that completing high school in such circumstances often takes students far from home, family and community support.
Listing the implications of children dropping out of school, Hamilton noted that it will contribute to unemployment, a life of poverty and them being less healthy. They can also become involved in a life of crime which can lead to imprisonment and dropping out also reduces the possibility of sustainable development in society as a whole because education is critical to improving health, nutrition and productivity.
At the primary level, Region 9 recorded the highest drop-out rate for two of the three years, while Region 2 had the lowest drop-out rate for entire three-year period. Hamilton said that 7,006 males dropped out and 6,838 females dropped out at the primary level over the period.
Between 2004 and 2005, most regions had drop-out rates of between one and four percent for males and females, with Regions 4 and 7 being exceptions. Between 2005 and 2006, there were some gender disparities, with male drop outs being higher in Regions 2, 5 and 8 and female drop outs being higher in Regions 1 and 6. In that period, Region 9’s drop-out rate was 14% higher than any other region.
Between 2006 and 2007 Hamilton reported that in most of the hinterland regions drop-out rates were higher for males than for females, with little disparity in the coastal regions. For this period Regions 7 and 9 recorded the highest rates of 8% and 13%, respectively.
Meanwhile, at the secondary level, Hamilton reported that the primary tops – secondary departments attached to primary schools – had the highest drop-out rates for two of the years under review, with community high schools recording the highest between 2004 and 2005. However, she said that drop-out rates in general secondary and community high schools declined during the period, but remained at an average rate of 14%. Region 4 had the highest average of drop outs at the primary top, with 23% while Region 6 recorded the highest rate for community high schools. Although Region 8 had the highest drop-out rate at the primary top level with 27%, Region 4 had the highest average rate, followed by Region 6.
As for community high schools during this period, Hamilton said that Region 1 had overwhelmingly higher rates than any other region even though Regions 2, 4 and 6 also had very high drop-out rates. And for secondary schools the highest rates were in Region 1 at 17% and Region 2 at 12%.
For the period between 2005 and 2006, the secondary department of primary schools in Region 4 had the highest rate at 22%, followed closely by Region 9 with 20.5%. In the community high schools Region 4 again had the highest drop-out rate with 21%, following by Region 6 with 19%. Meanwhile, between 2006 and 2007 Region 6 had the highest rate among primary tops with 31% and also for the community high school with 22%. Region 4, Hamilton said, had the highest drop-out rates in general for secondary schools.
