SCHOOL DROP OUTS: FACTS OR FALLACY

ABSTRACT
This study is meant to identify reasons for dropping out from school. The study
consisted of grade 8students who stopped schooling in Cang – ungos National
High School, a public high school in the mountain barangay in Negros Oriental.
The study utilizes the descriptive research method by visiting the homes of the
Students who dropped out, distributed survey instrument, and conducted an in –
depth interview. After the completion of interviews, responses were transcribed
and coded in order to identify the emergent themes within the data. Outcomes
showed that students dropped out from school due to the following reasons: (a)
schools is far from home; (b) no money for school needs; (c) too many
assignments; ( d) does not like the teacher.
Key words: drop out, students, high school
INTRODUCUCTION
School dropout is the culmination of much longer process of leaving school that
began long before the date that a student actually discontinues attendance. Historic
scholarship on school dropout span from as early as a 1927 monograph that
labelled it “school leaving” and associated those at risk with possible mental
inferiority (Fuller, 1927,p.1). The problem of students leaving school prior to
graduation is one that has long been with us and one that shows no sign of
abating in the near future. In this issue the individual and collective
disadvantages that when a significant portion of students fail to complete their high
school education are impossible to ignore, particularly in a society committed to
equality of opportunity and the full participation of all citizens in political, social
and economic affairs. Because of the drop out phenomenon as damaging to a
democratic society it be an enduring social problem, we beloved that the time has
come to subject it to sustained investigation aimed to alleviating it’s worst
manifestation. And assessprograms and policies that will encourage students at risk
to complete their high school education.
The drop out problem has persisted through these changes even amid higher rates
of school completion, moreover, it is still fund in alarming raters in many
culturally and linguistically diverse groups. To best understand school drop out
as a national problem, studies with nationally representative students population
should be compared together and their findings considered as a whole.
Thus, studies which were included in the current research were operationally
defined as specifically addressing student, teacher, or administrator reported drop
out causes and being funded by federal government(either through the department
of education, or the bureau of labor statistics [ BLS]).

METHODOLOGY
The descriptive method of research was used in conducting this study since it aims
to identify the reasons why students drop out. The study was a qualitative research
which employed interviews to delve deeper into the problem of school dropout.
The grade 8 students of Cang – ungos National High school, a public high school
in the mountain barangay in Negros Oriental were selected for the purpose of
study. The selection of drop outs was done because of the desire of the researchers
to investigate the school drop outs of students. The researcher believed
that the background characteristics of students determine the kind of schools
and educational process to which they have access. The respondents orthe grade 8
students in Cang – ungos National High school were selected the within case
sampling. This section deals with the findings of data gathered from the
research participants the grade 8students in Cang – ungos National High school.
The finding includes major areas of concern like facts or fallacy of drop out
students. One of the main objectives this research was to assess the fact or fallacy
ofdrop out among high school students. Hence, information regarding
the reason of drop out was collected from students in Cang – ungos National
High school, participant were asked to narrate reasons that make students to leave
school at early age.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The study successfully identified the reasons on to why the grade 8 students of
Cang – ungos National High school have dropped out. Some of them said that it
was because of poverty and less of financial assistance. Some are due to early
work opportunities and the need of independent living. Minor reasons like having
too many assignments and disagreement with teachers also influenced their
dropping out. The study also revealed that some of them want to have higher
education but due to evitable circumstances, they are forced to stop going to
school. Following careful data collection through aninterview, detailed experiences
and personal lives of dropout students were presented under thesesubtopics.
The primary goal of this topic is to depict the real-life experiences of dropouts and
theiractivities while they were not in school. Because poverty is one of the factors
that causes students todrop out of school, the majority of dropouts were involved in
helping their families and looking for a better life in different places. Students
described how difficult life is outside of school. Among those interviewed, a 16-
year-old grade 7 student stated this, “It is a big loss of chance when you get out of
school because of finance. I am the only child in the home so that there are so
many responsibilities expected from me. I fill ashamed to ask my family to
buy me stationery materials because the lifethey are leading is really bad.
Finally, I decided to stop my education and join my family to work ona farm.
Besides farming, I have done a lot of activities such as trading and daily
paid work.”Students who drop out of high school before graduating frequently cite
a lack of social and academic support as one of the reasons, according to both
ethnographic and survey-based studies. Despite their self-described efforts to get
help from school personnel, they feel disconnected from teachers. Dropouts
frequently complain that their teachers don't care about them, are unconcerned
about their academic performance, and are unwilling to help them with problems
(Fine, 1986; MacLeod, 1987). According to
exit interviews, roughly half of all dropouts left school because they were failing
or didn't like it, whileone-third left because they didn't get along with their
teachers or other students (Catterall, 1998).Poverty is the most powerful
demographic factor that increases the likelihood of students dropping outof
school. It has an impact on children’s well-being, school readiness,
and academic performance.According to those students, students from low-
income families are at risk of dropping out of schooleach year due to their family
background. The following extract, taken from a 12-year-old child, depictsan
experience he had while not in school. “I live with my mom because my father
married anotherwoman. Mom is not helping me in every aspect of my life. I
quit school and start a job. I borrowsome money and start shoe polishing. On
average I will make up to 40 birrs per day. I will give halfof it to my mom and
save the other. I saved a lot of money last year and bought all the
necessaryeducational materials and resume to school. As to me, living out of
school at this age is so difficult.”Other experiences shared by a 16-year-old female
student are presented below. ”After I left school Istarted to sell coffee and tea
on the street. I make good money especially on market day, but I amnot
interested to do that because I think about my future”. According to the findings,
the primary causesof student dropout are poverty and a lack of funds to purchase
stationary materials. As a result, studentsare forced to discontinue their education
in order to support their families and seek employment invarious fields. The
majority of students interviewed stated that the reasons for dropping out are a lack
ofincome, an inability to purchase necessary stationery materials, and a lack of
money to purchase auniform and clothes to wear. According to this data, the vast
majority of students come from low-incomefamilies who are unable to send their
children to school due to financial constraints. Again, this findingindicates that
students are dropping out of school due to a lack of motivating parents. Their
parents areforcing them to serve their families. Negative attitudes toward
education and a lack of interest ineducation have also been identified as
major causes of school dropouts. Lack of awareness about thelong-term benefits of
education, as well as looking for income-generating jobs before finishing
gradeeducation, all contribute to the prevalence of dropouts. Peer pressure and
cultural influences were alsocited as reasons for school dropouts by high school
students. Minor reasons include students droppingout of school because the school
is too far away from home, they don’t have enough money for schoolsupplies, they
have too many assignments, and they dislike the teacher.

CONCLUSION
The following conclusions were reached based on the study’s findings. The major
causes of student dropout are financial constraints, as well as instructional
language and cultural barriers, which exacerbate the dropout rate among high
school students. The majority of students who drop out of school engage in various
income-generating activities in order to support their families and themselves. The
society’s negative attitude toward education, as well as the society’s awareness of
the importance of education, which is linked to the literacy level of the community,
all contributed to student dropout. There is an obvious need for research into the
effects of dropping out of high school. It has long been assumed that the costs of
the dropout problem to society are quite high. Dropout data are by far the best
available for this purpose. Dropout studies are typically time-consuming and
costly. Knowing only the background characteristics of dropouts will not lead to an
understanding of how current school processes contribute to decisions to leave
school before graduation.
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