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CAUSES OF DROPOUT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UGHELLI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA
STATE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Education, which has rightly been conceived as
a preparation for life, is a productive activity and an
investment in human resources. A progressive and
welfare state (country) would never ignore its
indisputable need for socialisation of its masses of
which education is considered to be the chief organ
for this purpose. Education is an important
component of economic and social development and
contributes significantly to a country’s progress. It is
considered to be the investment in human capital as
it builds human capabilities, which is a vital nation-
building ingredient. Without spread of literacy, the
1
dream of socio-economic development of the
country can never be realized (Abdul, Q.M.,
Muhammad, A. and Faiza, B., 2004).
According to Abdul etal (2004), Secondary
education is an important sub-sector of the entire
education system. It varies from country to country.
It is the schooling designed for students in the age
bracket of 12-16 years who are enrolled in
secondary schools. Secondary education is a stage
where, a student enters at adolescence, the most
crucial state in one’s personality development. It
comes at a time when a child is in his/her most
impressionable and formative years. At this
particular time, the features of future men, women
and citizens are beginning to appear and require full
encouragement and sympathetic help in the
development.
A common feature observed in most developed
nations is higher attainment in education than the
developing nations. For instance, according to
Egwunyenga and Nwadiani (2004), Britain had 98%
2
education attainment, United States of America 89%
while Nigeria and Sudan had 59% and 33%
respectively as reported by the World Bank (1996)
on development indicators. This properly informed
the reason the Federal Government is seen to have
priority attention to the supply of education in the
first two levels (primary and secondary) as reflected
in the launched Universal Basic Education (UBE)
Scheme in May 2000. A common feature in the
Nigerian educational system in the issue of drop-out.
According to Hornby, A.S. (2008), drop-out means a
person who leaves school or college before they
have finished their studies. It also means one who
withdraws or quits from school or a given social
group.
The rate at which secondary school students
are observed to be leaving school at will to engage
in diverse socio-economic activities calls for
concern. This is with a view to saving scarce
productive resources which would have been put
into alternative use from being wasted on those who
3
will not like to complete their school programmes. It
has been observed by most school administrators
that boys withdraw from school to go into buying
and selling while the girls migrate into urban centers
in search of daily bread. According to Nwadiani
(1998), some parents have preference to menial jobs
done by their wards that brings quick monies to
solve domestic problems. It is also important to note
that besides students dropping from the system,
there are those who are observed to dropout within
the system. These are students that willfully leave
one public school and enter another or from one
public school to a private school (Nwakobi 1990).
In Nigeria, about 7.3 million children dropout of
school, of which 62% are girls (UNICEF 2004). The
same UNICEF report indicates that girls’ primary
school completion rate is far behind that of boys, at
76% compared with 85% for boys. This gender gap
means that millions more girls than boys are
dropping out of school each year. This goes to show
4
that the majority of children not in school are girls.
UNICEF (2003) showed a worrisome report from sub-
Saharan Africa where the number of girls out of
school rose from 20 million in 1990 to 24 million in
2002. The report also indicated that 83% of all girls
out of school in the world live in Sub-Saharan Africa,
South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific. Mohammed
(2004) equally reported that a girl may be withdrawn
from school if a good marriage prospect arises. Early
marriage is a socio-cultural factor that hinders the
girl child’s access to school. Some parents, in an
attempt to protect their teenage daughters, give
them out to wealthy old friends. Some of these girls
who attempt to escape from such forced marriages
end up in disaster. Efforts should be made to ensure
that girls go to school and complete their schooling.
According to Egbochuku (2002), efforts made to
ensure that adolescent girls who re-enrolled in
school are retained with a view to acquiring
education will permanently close the door to poverty
and ignorance and at the same time open that of
5
prosperity in terms of economic buoyancy, social
advancement and civilization. Alika and Egbochuku
(2009) found that the socio-economic status of the
girls imposes considerable constraints upon their
continuing stay in school. In fact, they asserted that
a girl’s particular socio-economic inheritance may
have a direct and important effect on educational
attainment.
Statement of the Problem
It has been noted that drop-out syndrome
among secondary school students constitutes gross
educational wastage to the country and also, that
the victims of the incident are at a loss. The
problem of drop-out rate among secondary school
students in Nigeria has its untold effects on the life
of the individuals and the society in general. It is
quite unfortunate that some parents do not allow
their children to attend school, who engage them in
one form of economic activity or the other.
Recently, high drop-out rate has become a
public outcry. As a result of the above problems, the
6
researcher is disturbed and motivated to investigate
those causes of drop-out and also proffer solutions
to tackle these problems.
The Ughelli South Local Government Area offers
adequate curriculum for its students with many
academic avenues open and available to students,
yet, each year, students drop out of school. Concern
in this matter is felt not only for these youngsters,
but for the Ughelli South Local Government Area,
Delta State, and the nation as a whole. It is the
writer's endeavour to find particular factors or
causes relating to students who drop out in the
Ughelli South Local Government Area.
7
Purpose of the Study
This study sought to determine the major
causes of school dropout among secondary school
students in Ughelli South Local Government Area of
Delta State. Specifically, this study was designed to:
1. Examine whether poverty causes school dropout
among secondary school students in Ughelli South
Local Government Area.
2. Determine whether poor value orientation among
peers cases school dropout.
3. Ascertain whether poor school infrastructure is
causal to school dropout.
4. Determine whether location of school is part of
the causes of school dropout.
Significance of the Study
This study has immense implications for
Nigerian education. The study will throw more light
on the factors responsible students’ dropping out of
secondary school in Ughelli South Local Government
Area of Delta State with an objective of providing
8
solutions which will go a long way in assisting the
concerned or affected area of Delta State,
educational institutions and planners, and parents in
correcting the anomalies.
The research will also assist the management
of secondary schools in Ughelli South Local
Government Area to adopt measures that will put an
end to, or at least reduce the rate of drop-out
among secondary school students in the area.
It is also an attempt to impart upon the youths
in Ughelli South Local Government Area the need to
appreciate education and flee from social vices such
as armed robbery, secret cults etc. which is capable
of disrupting their education. There is also a
systematic approach in assisting in the development
of the secondary schools in the area and also
provide assistance to the educational needs of the
society, and the needs of the Local Government
Area.
The research will therefore, help to determine
the necessary conditions that will be made available
9
to divert the attention of the students from dropping
out of school at all secondary school levels in
Ughelli South Local Government Area and also to
encourage them to hold fast to education.
Scope of the Study
This study was designed to determine the major
causes of school dropout among secondary school
students in Ughelli South Local government Area of
Delta State.
Government secondary schools in the area was
used for the study.
Research Questions
To guide the study, the following research
questions were formulated:
1. How does poverty cause school dropout among
secondary school students in Ughelli South Local
Government Area?
2. In what ways do poor value orientation cause
school dropout among students?
10
3. How has poor school infrastructure caused school
dropout among students?
4. How has location of the school contributed to
dropout among students?
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter is discussed under the following
subheadings:
The concept of poverty as it affects dropout
among secondary school student.
Poor value orientation among peers in secondary
school.
Poor school infrastructure in Nigeria education
system.
Location of school dropout among students in
Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta
State?
Summary of review of related literature
11
The Concept of Poverty as it Affects Dropout
among Secondary School Students
Poverty defies objective definition because of
its multi-dimensional nature; there is yet no
universally accepted definition of poverty. There is
always the difficulty in deciding where to draw the
line between the “poor” and the “non-poor”. Aluko
(1975), refers to poverty as a lack of command over
basic consumption needs, which mean in other
words, that there is an inadequate level of
consumption giving rise to insufficient food, clothing
and/or shelter, and moreover the lack of certain
capacities, such as being able to participate with
dignity in society.
Poverty has been defined as the inability to
attain a minimum standard of living (World Bank
Report, 1990). The report constructed two indices
based on a minimum level of consumption in order
to show the practical aspect of the concept. While
the first index was a country specific poverty line,
the second was global, allowing cross-country
12
comparisons (Walton, 1990). The United Nations has
introduced the use of such other indices as life
expectancy, infant mortality rate, primary school
enrolment ratio and number of persons per
physician. Poverty has also been conceptualized in
both the “relative” and “absolute” sense. This is
generally based on whether relative or absolute
standards are adopted in the determination of the
minimum income required to meet basic life’s
necessities.
The relative conceptualization of poverty is
largely income-based or ultimately so, of which this
work will largely use. Accordingly, poverty depicts a
situation in which a given material means of
sustenance within a given society is hardly enough
for subsistence in that society (Townsend, 1962). In
essence, when considering poverty as a factor that
affects dropout among secondary school students,
the socio-economic condition of such parents is
what is being discussed.
13
Socio-economic status of parents contributes
immensely to school dropout. Students that come
from well-to-do and educated families try to
persevere in school programme overcoming all the
odds on the way to success, while those from poor
and uneducated families do easily succumb to and
thus dropout of the school system (Osagie 2010).
Also, families socio-economic background contribute
to students dropout in secondary schools because
those from the upper and middle classes are more
motivated, encouraged and socialized to value
education in its meaning, while those from lower or
bottom class lack those incentives and education as
a means to an end. When they could not achieve it,
they simply dropout of schools.
Okedara (1979) identified dropout as financial
crisis. They revealed that dropouts are those
students who could not pay their school fees and or
who could not meet financial expenses.
Okorodudu (1993) states that family poverty
breeds deficient satisfaction of basic needs among
14
growing children. When a need is not fulfilled,
people may be frustrated and the resultant
behaviour is aggression, and they may also resort to
stealing to satisfy their basic needs. However,
Scotcon (1965) states that “the socio-economic
status of the students and parent determines the
dropout rates. Students from low income home are
exposed to failure at school than those from high
income homes because, those students from the low
income home are later socialized to value and see
education as a pre-requisite for belonging to the
upper class and prestige. Those from low income
home see education as waste of time and money and
so look for other means of acquiring quick materials
wealth”.
Ukebe (1979) states that the poverty which
include family home standard of living, occupation
of parents, number of persons per house and the
general standard of the neighbourhood are factors
that are often found to be associated with children’s
ability and performance at school.
15
According to Nakpodia (2010), students from
low income families are 2.4 times more likely to
dropout of school than students from middle income
families and 10.5 times more likely than students
from high-income families. All these factors are due
to direct cost of education on parents. This direct
cost includes school fees, cost of uniform,
schoolbooks, school equipment, transportation
system. The ability of each parent to be able to
meet the needs of their wards will determine their
stability in the school. For pupils in rural areas,
transportation cost can easily become the most
expensive element of private cost of education. No
school bus is provided; pupils either walk or use
public transportation, ride bicycle or motor cycle.
Parents admit that this extra expense is something
they cannot afford to come up with on a daily basis
and they would have little to argue if the children
use this as an excuse to stay at home.
16
Poor Value Orientation among Peers in
Secondary School.
Children are precious gifts from God. They need
to be cared for, loved, cherished, adored,
appreciated and understood. Many students have
been misled due to the wrong and poor value
orientation they have among their peers, parents,
society, school e.g. student in most cases are easily
affected by their peers and the type of company
they keep and walk with. These can either make or
mar their education and future life.
It is universally acknowledged that parents lay
the foundation for moral development of their
children. Some students dropout out of school due to
their poor orientation about the value of education.
They however tend to imbibe this kind of orientation
from their parents.
According to Brouillette (1999), some parents
can be unaware of the benefits of education even if
the quality of education and the link between
education and work are as they should be. In the
17
rural areas, where the major source of income is
agriculture, parents may have difficulties imagining
lives for their children that are different from their
own and thus tend to undervalue the potential
benefits of education. Parents have control over
their children, therefore parents’ perception is an
important factor in determining whether or not their
children will attend school. A research conducted by
Faculty of Economics Thammasat University in 2000,
shows that mother’s level of education is a
significant factor in determining whether or not the
children will go to school.
Associated with students’ poor value
orientation and their dropping out of school is what
is called “Locus of control”. Kronick and Hargis
(1998), stated that most research shows that
dropouts report external as opposed to internal
locus of control. The research in locus of control
began with the work of Rotter (1966). He defined a
control orientation as the extent to which an
individual perceives that an event occurs due to
18
one’s own actions (internal locus of control) or due
to luck or chance (external locus of control). Peng,
Lee, Wang, and Walberg (1992) found that locus of
control was a significant predictor of academic
success.
In another development, Kronick and Hargis
(1998) point out that it is commonly accepted that
dropouts have lower self-concepts than graduates
do, at least before they drop out. House (1999),
found that self-beliefs were significant predictors of
school withdrawal. Research has revealed that for
some dropouts, self-concept increases after
dropping out, especially if the environment outside
of school provides more opportunities for status
attainment than does school. This concept of “strain
theory” was named by Merton (1957), who explains
that “deviant behavior acts as a result of the
malintegration of cultural ends and societal means”
(Kronick & Hargis, 1998). As cited by Whaley and
Smyer (1998), students view academic performance
as less relevant to their global self-esteem than
19
their middle-class counterparts do (e.g., Hare, 1981,
1985; Jordan, 1981; Mboya, 1986). These youth
invest more of their self-esteem in peer-related
activities (Hare, 1985). Another area these youths
may invest their self-esteem is job competence. A
major reason students give for dropping out is that
they have to work (Tidwell, 1988). As cited by House
(1999), some research suggests self-perceptions
may be mediating factors between risk factors for
dropping out and whether or not students stay in
school.
Finn and Rock (1997) found that students with
low grades who persist in high school show higher
levels of self-esteem. Vallerand, Fortier, & Guay
(1997) found that dropouts showed a lack of self-
determined motivation when compared to students
who persisted in school. Numerous studies have
found a significant relationship between academic
self-concept and subsequent grade performance
(e.g., House, 1993a, 1997; Marsh & Yeung, 1997;
Mboya, 1986; Vrugt, 1994).
20
There is also the perception of some students
that in a country like Nigeria, where graduates are
not employed after their graduation from school
tend to drop out from school, and probably sought
to the informal sector for job acquisition like
“roadside technicians” or “mechanics”.
According to Wilson (1980), work provides an
opportunity to assume adult roles. The perspective
that schooling does not improve one’s chances of
gaining employment in an “unjust society” may
motivate students to drop out (Wolfstetter-Kausch &
Gaier, 1981).
From the foregoing, students tend drop out of
school when such orientation has been passed on to
them by their parents.
Poor School Infrastructure in Nigeria Education
System as it Affects Dropout Rate of Students
Education in Nigeria, which is regarded as an
instrument for social change, is bedevilled with
wastage in the form of building structures and
inadequate facilities cause students’ dropout. Many
21
students in our secondary school system do not want
to go to school because of the overcrowding of
students in the schools. This can lead to suffocating
of the students in a particular classroom.
The importance of school infrastructure to
students’ learning cannot be overemphasized. In an
era of increased graduation requirements, schools
are finding it more important to prevent students
from dropping out of school instead of meeting the
advanced expectations (Viadero, 2001). As with the
issues of academic achievement, students’
attendance and student’s behavior, school size
(population) has shown to have an impact upon a
student’s decision to remain in a secondary school
or to dropout (Lee & Burkam, 2001). Lee and
Burkam (2001) note that, along with curriculum and
social relation variables, schools with large
population and little infrastructure to complement
such large population tend to see more students
drop out prior to graduation than their smaller
counterparts. This incident of students dropout is
22
more prevalent in rural areas than the urban areas,
where there are poor school infrastructure and the
rate students are withdrawing from the school
system is high.
Studies are beginning to surface that expose
facility-related instructional and curricular strategies
that deter students from leaving school
prematurely. A Georgia study showed that
technology integrated into the classroom and
allowing for more real life applications in the
classroom decreased dropout rates (Wright, 1997). A
Louisiana study found that students’ dropout rates
were impacted by how grade levels were configured
within school buildings (Franklin & Glascock, 1996).
The Nigerian government should work on the
transition rates from primary school into junior
secondary school, which are low compared to 100
percent transiting rate envisaged under the
country’s education scheme. Although, there has
been a slight increase in transition rates,
opportunities for entering into junior secondary
23
school are limited. Nations data shows that more
than half of the children who would have been
admitted are denied admission due to unavailability
of space. This can be explained by lack of adequate
school structure. In many cases, the great distance
to school is a major obstacle to enrolment. In
addition, those enrol in school either dropout or
attend irregularly. In 1996, only 33% of the students
completed junior secondary school.
Location of school as a Contributor to dropout
among Students in Ughelli South Local
Government Area of Delta State?
In most rural areas, the odds that a student will
dropout of secondary school increases with increase
in the distance a student moves to school. Students
traveling long distances to school are more likely to
dropout of school (Mukungu, 2004). Whereas
distance was found to be insignificant in influencing
dropout for urban households, it is generally
significant in rural areas. This phenomenon could be
attributed to the easier access to schools in urban
24
areas as compared to rural areas. The influence of
distance to school on the chances of dropout is more
pronounced among the younger students (boys and
girls).
According to Begi (2000), as a result of
insecurity due to the long distance, threats to
personal and physical security can make students
drop out of school. Students and their parents
sometimes found it difficult to attend school and/or
to enforce school attendance because of lack of
guarantees to the physical security along the road
of students attending school. Major among the
threats against physical security was the issue of
rape and this mostly affected female children.
According to Begi, in Kenya, parents in both
Viwandani and Korogocho sometimes withdraw their
children from school for fear that the children might
be raped on their way to school. This fear was
expressed by all the students regardless of gender.
In Korogocho region of Kenya, it was pointed out
that at least three people were raped every week in
25
the community and some of those raped were
victims of gang rapes. Research from other slum
areas in Nairobi (e.g. Kibera) corroborates that girls
have a heightened fear of being raped, with 60
percent of girls interviewed by the Population
Council in Kibera expressing a fear of being raped
(Erulkar and Matheka 2007).
In a related development, according to
Durdhawale (2004), Slum residents in city areas also
regarded longer distances to school as heightening
security threats. The longer the distance to school,
the less physically secure the children were deemed
to be. Children felt vulnerable if they had to pass
through insecure areas such as bushes or had to use
public transport or get transport from private
motorists on the road. Since local schools are over-
subscribed, children have to look for places
elsewhere. These children would then have to walk
long distances to school.
Most parents pointed out that because the local
schools were full they had to register their children
26
at other schools. This also meant that their children
would be more exposed to the dangers associated
with schooling far away from home. They pointed
out that some children had been kidnapped and
later found murdered, and in most cases the culprits
were not caught. Parents felt that the school could
not provide a protective environment for their
children. This reluctance to send children to school
fearing for their safety can be understood in the
context of Kenyan society where rape victims are
stigmatized (Begi 2000).
27
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter specifically dealt with the method
used in conducting the study. It includes the
following:-
Research Design
Area of Study
Population of the Study
Sample and Sampling Technique
Instrument for Data Collection
Validity of the Instrument
Reliability of the Instrument
Method of Data Collection and
Method of Data Analysis.
Research Design
A descriptive survey design was adopted for the
study. This was manifest in the nature of the study.
The opinions of the various people concerned are
sought to provide answers to the research questions.
28
Area of the Study
This study was carried out in Ughelli South
Local Government Area of Delta State.
Population of the Study
The population for this study comprises of all
250 teachers from the ten secondary schools in
Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Sample and Sampling Techniques
The instrument used for data collection in this
study was a structured questionnaire developed by
the researcher titled “Causes of Dropout Among
Secondary School Students in Ughelli South Local
Government Area of Delta State”. The questionnaire
was made up to two parts: part one sought
information on personal data of the respondents,
while part two had 4 sub-sections. Each research
question had 5 question items. Thus the
questionnaire contained 20 question items. The
question items were designed using the four (4)
point modified likert scale of Strongly Agree (SA) 4
29
points, Agree (A) 3 points, Disagree (D) 2 points,
Strongly Disagree (SD) 1 point.
Validation of the Instrument
The structured questionnaire was given to three
experts in the Department of Educational
Foundations of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) for
validation. The three experts restructured the items
which helped to ensure that the items measure
exactly the expected constructs.
Reliability of the Instrument
The researcher had to test and retest ten
teachers from Ughelli South Local Government Area
to ascertain the reliability of the questionnaire. The
researcher visited five secondary schools in Ughelli
South and administered the questionnaire to ten
teachers out of 250 teachers in the five secondary
schools. the results from the five test yielded 0.74
after correlation using Pearson’s Product. Moment
correlation procedure.
30
Method of Data Collection
The researcher paid a visit to all the selected
schools for the distribution and collection of the
copies of questionnaire. The researcher did
administer the copies and waited patiently for the
collection. This helped to eliminate instrumental
mortality.
Method of Data Analysis
Frequency count and mean were used to
analyze the data collected. The formula for
calculation the mean was:
Where, summation sign
= Summation sign
f = frequency
x = nominal/observation
N = total No. of response
= mean value
31
Decision Rule
An item stands accepted if it scores a mean of
2.5 and above, while an items scoring less than 2.5
stands rejected.
32
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
The chapter deals with the presentation and
interpretation of data collected and seventy-eight
copies were distributed by hand by the researcher
and were returned.
Research Question One
How does poverty cause school dropout among
secondary school students in Ughelli South Local
Government Area?
Table 1: Effect of poverty on school dropout.
S/N VARIABLE SA
4
A
3
D
2
S
D
1
TOTA
L NO
DECISIO
N
1. Poverty is a major cause of
school dropout.
11
0
44
0
35
10
5
-
-
33
33
178
578 3.2
5
Agree
2. Poverty makes it impossible for
student to pay their fees.
83
33
2
56
16
8
15
30
-
-
178
602 3.3
8
Agree
3. Parent’s poverty influence
school dropout.
78
31
2
56
16
8
15
29
29
29
178
539 3.0
3
Agree
4. Parental poverty makes it
impossible for them to pay
10
6
43 19 - 178
33
their school bills.
42
4
15
9
38 - 621 3.4
9
Agree
5. Poverty is not a factor that
cause school dropout.
30
12
0
26
78
81
16
2
41
41
178
401 2.2
5
Disagree
Table 1 shows the mean response of the
respondents on the effect of poverty on school
dropout. From the above analysis, it shows that
poverty is a major cause of school dropout. This is
evident in item 1 of the above table with an average
mean of 3.25, indicating a large number of
respondents attesting that poverty is a major cause
of school dropout in Ughelli South Local Government
Area.
In item 2, the respondents also agree that
poverty makes it impossible for student to pay their
fees. Therefore, there is every tendency to prove
that the problems brought about by difficulty in the
payment of school fees can make students to
dropout from secondary schools. With a mean of
34
3.38, respondents agreed that poverty makes it
impossible for students to pay their fees.
Also in items 4 and 5, with an average mean of
3.03, and 3.49, show that the respondents agree
that parent’s poverty influence school dropout and
parental poverty makes it impossible for them to
pay their school bills.
However, in item 5, respondents disagree to the
fact that poverty is not a factor that cause school
dropout. This is revealed from their mean score of
2.25.
Research Question Two
How does poor value orientation cause school
dropout among students?
Table 2: Influence of poor value orientation on school dropout.
S/N VARIABLE SA
4
A
3
D
2
S
D
1
TOTA
L NO
X DECISIO
N
6. Poor value orientation from
parents influences student from
school dropout
10
3
41
2
56
16
8
1
0
2
0
9
9
178
609 3.42 Agree
7. Lower self-concept influences
school dropout.
59 77 2 21 178
35
23
6
23
1
1
4
2
21 530 2.98 Agree
8. Inability of students to model
good and responsible characters
influence school dropout.
97
38
8
46
13
8
2
9
5
8
6
6
178
390 3.31 Agree
9. Unnecessary display of riches by
illiterates influences school
dropout.
61
24
4
91
27
3
9
1
8
11
11
178
546 3.07 Agree
10. Improper orientation affect
student with deviant behaviour
and this leads to school
dropout.
8
34
8
35
10
5
2
3
4
6
33
33
178
532 2.99 Agree
Table 2 shows the mean responses of the
respondents on the influence of poor value
orientation from parents on school dropout. It shows
that poor value orientation influence student
dropping out from school was a major factor. This is
because it has the highest mean score of 3.42. In
item 7, respondents agreed to the fact that students
dropout from school due to lower self-concept. This
is indicated with a mean score of 2.98. Item 8,
clearly proved the inability of students to model
36
good and responsible characters to stop them from
dropping out from school with an average mean
score of 3.31. In items 9 and 10, respondents agreed
to the item questions with mean scores of 3.07 for
item 9 and 2.99 for item question 10.
37
Research Question Three
How does poor school infrastructure cause
school dropout among student?
Table 3: How poor school infrastructure cause school dropout.
S/N VARIABLE SA
4
A
3
D
2
SD
1
TOTA
L NO
X DECISIO
N
11. Lack of school structure
cause student dropout
11
3
45
3
36
10
8
9
18
20
20
178
578 3.36 Agree
12. Insufficient
infrastructure cause
discomfort among
students and influence
them to dropout.
62
24
8
14
4
41
82
27
27
178
507 2.81 Agree
13. Availability of requisite
infrastructure in schools
attract student to
schools.
6
24
16
2
48
6
5
10
5
5
178
525 2.95 Agree
14. Lack of adequate
laboratory contributes to
school dropout.
11
0
44
0
35
10
5
-
-
35
10
5
178
- 2.95 Agree
15. Inadequate learning
facilities cause school
dropout.
98
39
2
59
17
2
21
42
-
-
178
- 3.43 Agree
38
Table 3 shows how poor school infrastructure
cause school dropout. In item 11, the respondents
agree that lack of school structure cause students to
dropout from school, with an average mean of 3.36.
Furthermore, item 12 clearly showed that
insufficient infrastructure causes discomfort among
students and influence them to dropout. The
respondents agree with an average mean of 2.81.
Also in item 13, respondents agree that
availability of requisite infrastructure in schools
attract students to schools and prevents them from
dropping out from school. The respondents agreed
with an average mean of 2.95.
Item 14 of the above table indicate lack of
adequate laboratory contributes to school dropout.
This is because it leads to students’ poor academic
performances thereby leading to dropout situation.
The respondents agreed to this item with an average
mean of 2.95 of the above table.
39
Research Question Four
How has location of the school contributed to
dropout among students?
Table 4: Effect of the location of the school on students dropping out of school.
S/N VARIABLE SA
4
A
3
D
2
SD
1
TOTA
L NO
X DECISIO
N
16. Distance influences dropout
of school.
81
32
4
72
21
6
14
28
11
11
178
179 3.25 Agree
17. Fear of being raped due to
long distance to school
cause students to drop from
school.
10
3
41
2
23
69
31
62
21
21
178
564
3.17 Agree
18. Fear of being attacked by
animals along bush parts
due to long distance to
school cause students to
drop from school.
11
2
44
8
20
60
36
72
10
10
178
539 3.31 Agree
19. Long distance cause
students to go late to
school and eventually cause
the to dropout
96
38
4
18
54
12
24
52
52
178
514 2.89 Agree
20. Inability to pay transport to
school due to long distance
to school cause student to
dropout from school.
25
10
0
15
45
38
76
10
0
10
0
178
669 3.19
Agree
40
Table 4 clearly shows the effect on the position
of the school as a strengthening factor towards
school dropout.
in Ughelli South Local Government Area. These were
proved by the respondents in the various schools.
From the above table. It shows that distance
influences dropout of school. The respondents agree
with an average mean of 3.25, in item 16.
In item 17, fear of being raped due to long
distance to school causes students to drop from
school., with a mean score of 3.17. This is because,
students will see no reason for continuing schooling
if they are not secured on their way to school. That
is going to school would almost be the same as not
going to school.
Also students responded positively to items 18
on the issue of fear of being attacked by animals
along bush parts due to long distance to school, with
mean score of 3.31.
Furthermore, students attested to the fact that
teachers usually punish them severely due to their
41
coming late to school, which is as a result of the
long distance they have to travel to come to school,
which thus cause them to drop out from school (item
19), with a mean score of 2.81.
In item 20, students disagreed that they
dropout from school if they are unable to pay
transport to school due to long distance to school
and from school. This is indicated with a mean score
of 1.80.
Summary of Findings
From table 1, it is obvious in items 1,2,3,4, and
5, that respondents agree that poverty is a major
reason why students dropout from school.
From the analysis in Table 2, it is observed that
in items 6,7,8,9, and 10, that respondents agree on
the following as factors that cause students to
dropout from school; poor value orientation of
student from parents, lower self-concept, inability of
students to model good and responsible characters,
Unnecessary display of riches by illiterates and
42
improper orientation affect student with deviant
behaviour.
From the analysis in Table 3, items 11, 12, 13,
14 and 15, respondents agree that poor school
infrastructure cause school dropout.
Finally, from the analysis in Table 4, the
location of school with respect to students homes is
a strengthening factor towards school dropout was
revealed. This indication was brought by the
acceptance of items 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, with
mean scores that are above 2.5 cut-off mark.
43
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion of Findings
Effect of poverty on school dropout
Poverty could be said to be one of the causes of
school dropout. From table 1 in chapter four,
findings has it that respondents agree that poverty
is a major reason why students dropout from school.
From the findings, poverty nature of parents makes
students unable to pay their school fees, thereby
making them to dropout from school. Okedara
(1979) corroborated this reason, who identified
dropout as financial crisis. He revealed that
dropouts are those students who could not pay their
school fees and or who could not meet financial
expenses.
44
Influence of Poor Value Orientation on School
Dropout
It was observed from the findings in chapter
four that poor value orientation equally contributes
to school dropout. This is indicated in the responses
to item questions in table 2 of chapter four. The
respondents agreed among other things that the
kind of orientation students receive from their
parents are poor, and as such encourage them to
dropout from school. Such parents don’t see any
value in education. This is in line with what
Brouillette (1999) stated that, some parents can be
unaware of the benefits of education even if the
quality of education and the link between education
and work are as they should be. In the rural areas,
where the major source of income is agriculture,
parents may have difficulties imagining lives for
their children that are different from their own and
thus tend to undervalue the potential benefits of
education.
45
Poor school infrastructure in Nigeria education
system.
In table 3 of chapter four, the position of the
school management as a strengthening factor
towards students’ from school was analysed. The
findings revealed that certain factors such as; lack
of school infrastructure amongst others contribute to
why students dropout from school. In line with the
above, Wright (1997) showed that technology
integrated into the classroom and allowing for more
real life applications in the classroom decreased
dropout rates.
Location of school as a Contributor to dropout
among Students in Ughelli South Local
Government Area of Delta State?
In table 4 of chapter four, the location of school
as a contributor to dropout among students from
school was analysed. The major findings on this item
showed that students indicated that they were
afraid of their security situation along the long
distance walk to school. This is because, some
46
students were being attacked along the way to
school, some girls being raped.
In line with the above, Begi (2000) stated that
as a result of insecurity due to the long distance to
school, threats to personal and physical security can
make students drop out of school.
Educational Implications of the Study
From the findings of this study, the following
are the educational implications of the study:
1. Counsellors should identify indigent students,
who are likely to dropout of school as a result of
poverty, and help negotiate some form of
scholarship or financial assistance for them.
Adolescent girls who are not doing well
academically should be identified by the
counsellors and remedial classes should be
organized for them.
2. Guidance counsellors should also be
introduced into the school system in order to
change the value orientation and character of
students. This is to prevent poor value orientation
47
of student from parents, lower self-concept,
inability of students to model good and
responsible characters etc cause students to
dropout of school.
3. The Ministry of Education at the state level
should endeavour to improve on school
infrastructure and make the school environment
conducive for learning.
4. Finally, Government should locate schools
centrally in order for it to be easy for students to
easily go to school within treckable distance from
their homes.
Recommendations
Based on the following, the researcher wish to
recommend that:
1. Principals of secondary school should ensure that
school equipment are taken proper care of, any
damaged materials such as desks, tables, chairs
etc should be repaired properly. This will make
school equipment last longer.
48
2. Parents should be educated on the effects of their
children’s life, by meeting their financial needs.
3. The government should pursue a genuine program
of poverty alleviation and economic empowerment
of parents so that they would be able to send their
children to school.
4. The government can intensify public
enlightenment campaign to educate the public on
the importance of education and the
consequences of school dropout, and that money
is not everything. The government should not
overlook the school dropouts rather establish
secondary schools and skilled teachers. Parents
should inculcate n their children the worth of
education through empowerment with
consequential greatness as long-term benefit.
5. Education should be deployed to help the youths
appreciate principles, opinions, manners, talents,
because the power of education is knowledge and
a nation without education is powerless or dead.
49
And the absence of education produces crude
leaders that lack sound education.
Limitations of the Study
In an attempt to make the exercise a successful
one, the researcher was faced with a lot of
obstacles, which formed the limitation of the study.
The researcher encountered the following
constraints.
1. Firstly, the researcher had the problem of
equality, which means that she was not given
adequate access to the local government offices
of some of the high administration in that area.
2. Another limitation or a major constraint
suffered by the researcher is the attitude of the
respondents for example; some of the
respondents were feeling so reluctant in
completing the questionnaires administered to
them. Whereas some who filled theirs fail to
return in time to the researcher so, it is so
problematic in the sense that it turned that plan
of the study in eliciting useful information.
50
There is no research work that does not require
money, so the researcher also suffered from
insufficient finance with which to travel to other
institutions for relevant materials.
Suggestions for Further Study
The following are suggested for further studies:
1. There should be a study on the influence of
high male drop-out rate among secondary school
students in this same local government area.
2. There should be a study aimed at unravelling
ways by which the negative trend of high male
drop-out rate among secondary school students
could be reversed in the area.
Summary of the Study
The focus of this study was to find out the
causes of dropout among secondary school students
in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta
State. Four research questions were posed to test
the causes of dropout among secondary school
51
students. Related literatures were reviewed in the
course of the research. The result of the findings
showed that parental socio-economic background,
poor value orientation of students, poor school
infrastructure and location of school are those
factors that cause dropout among secondary school
students in Ughelli South Local Government Area of
Delta State.
Conclusion
The findings of the study revealed some of the
factors that cause students to dropout of secondary
school in Ughelli South Local Government Area of
Delta State. It is the researchers opinion that if
those identified problems will be properly addressed
by the government and educational authorities in
Delta State, the rate of dropout among secondary
school students will be definitely eliminated to
increase the rate at which secondary school
students attend schools and minimize wastage of
government funds in Delta State.
52
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