MISSED OPPORTUNITIES:

CASE STUDY ON THE CAUSES OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH

SUBMITTED BY:
ARRY JOSH M. TEMPORAL (10-RIZAL)

SUBMITTED TO:

MA. ROSARIO ICAY- DECIPULO

Everyone agrees that education is a basic human right and a key component in determining one’s
future opportunities. But despite worldwide efforts to guarantee that everyone has access to
education, a significant challenge still exists: a large number of young individuals who are not in
school. The issue, which is defined as those who are of obligatory school age but are not enrolled
in official education systems, poses a significant obstacle to social development and equality in
education. Examining the causes of out-of-school youth, it becomes clear that socio-economic
factors, limited educational resources and options, family circumstances, and pressures from
society all play critical roles.

Based on 2017 Philippine Statistics Authority data, 9% or 3.5 of the estimated 39.2 million
Filipinos aged 6 to 24 years old were considered OSYs (out-of-school youth). Followed by the
years 2018-3.8 million Filipinos, 2019-3.5 million, 2020-nearly 4 million (unspecified), 2021-
also nearly 4 million (unspecified), 2022-7.9 million, while the statistics for the year 2023 is yet
to be released. As we can see, even in the earlier years, the number for OSYs are already
rampant and had its peak point in the year 2022 and started the increase in the years 2019-2020
because this is the time period when Covid-19 had become a pandemic and affecting everyday
lives including learning. I am sure that we’ve met and interacted with them, even though we
don’t know what their struggles are and that they are part of the out-of-school population.
I myself have a friend but our friendship as for now isn’t the way it used to be; I also interviewed
two other young adults who had to leave the opportunity to finish their studies, but the highlight
for now is my friend. His name is John Lloyd Bien, 13-14 years old as for now, dropped out of
school since the start of his high-school year and also unfortunately, he already became a parent
at a young age, his late father died in an accident years ago and his mother is working in Cavite
to support him and his older brother. According to him, the most possible cause that made him
out-of-school is the lack of parental guidance and financial instability, the same cause for the
other two that I interviewed but it’s really likely to be financial instability. They said that
because of lacking parental guidance and shortcomings financially, they had lost their interest in
learning and instead had to go to work at a very young age. They said that, if they were given an
opportunity to study again, they will grab the opportunity because as they said it, the economic
status of the Philippines as of the current time is really not suitable for them to raise their family
and themselves, only by studying and getting a high paying job will help them. They are also
hoping that the government, especially the Department of Education to help and make amends
about the problems of out-of-school youth to get them back on the education track and therefore
helping everyone to have more educational opportunities ever than before. As we can see, the
most prominent reason for being an out-of-school youth are financial problems and family
matters. All I can recommend as a Filipino citizen is to love and accept other fellows that didn’t
have much opportunities as much as we do. We must also raise awareness for the upcoming
generations to prevent before it worsens, it is also the help we can give as a member of the
society. And also to call out our government/education sector to change and make reforms for
those who wants to pursue their studies but is constricted by so many reason because learning
should be a fundamental right accessible to all individuals regardless of their situations or
socioeconomic status.

In this case study, I have learned that there is a more in-depth explanation of how, why, and what
causes the issue and the underlying reasons. This problem isn’t just a mere problem, but one that
induces results that last a lifetime and may also affect future generations.
Readers can learn about a deeper understanding of the reasons why youths detach from school,
identifying the risk factors or reasons. They can also learn about interventions, take actions, and
see what helps, such as supporting educational movements or initiatives, and many more.

Questions asked and Evidence:

 What do you think is the reason why you had to disengage from school?
 If you were given a chance to study again, what will you do and why?
 Who do you think who can help you and the other people under the same problem, and
how can they help you?