CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Secondary education can be defined as the transition between the primary education and tertiary education. It aims at preparing children for useful living in the society and at the same time prepares them for higher education. The national policy on education (1981) divides the secondary school into junior secondary (JSS) and senior secondary school (SSS) each stage is for a period of three years. The three years in junior secondary school is like the primary education, which is both prevocational and academic. The curriculum of the senior secondary school on the other hand is diversified. According to Ehiametaler E. T et al (1989) students at this level are streamed into science inclined, art inclined, commercial subjects oriented teacher, training inclined and technical subjects oriented. But in spite of the many career opportunities open to students in the senior secondary school programme, students are dropping out especially in Evboesi areas of Edo State. Secondary schools are being closed for low environment. Statistics on student’s environment in the post primary schools in the defunct Bendel state as a wholly available at the ministry of education shows that the population of students in the senior secondary school is on the decline. Another evidence of decline in senior secondary school environment in the recent method adopted by the West Africa examination council (WAEC) where by schools with many students for the senior school certificate examinations are grouped together to form a single centre.

Many students who had sought admission into the senior secondary school had prematurely withdrawn and dropped out before graduation for one or two reasons. This is caused for concern of interests are some of the factors responsible for this untimely withdrawal. In the first place, the current economic lesson in the country has le many graduates but from secondary school and institutions of higher learning unemployed. According to Gerald Bernbanu (1979) the disappointed people who had earlier looked to educational expansion both to reduce social and economic inequalities and to improve the performance of the economy going to school was still regarded as the surest way to gainfully employ especially in the public sector. The non-employment of most of the graduates for all levels of our educational institutions makes the current students in the senior secondary school to see attending school as a waste of time. The point that is being emphasized here is that because school leavers and graduates of higher institutions do not richly secure gainfully employed in the public or private sectors of the economy as the case, many years ago students are no longer motivated to continue their education through the senior secondary school (SSS). Government also contributes to the rate of dropout from secondary school in charging tuition fees, which many parents cannot aord in view of the present economic crisis the country. Even when many of them have struggled to pay the tuition fees, final accommodation fees are often unaordable. Another factors which make students to withdraw from the senior secondary school is early marriage. It has been postulated that many girls dropped out of school because their parents wanted them to get married some other girls had dropped out of school because they had unexpected pregnancies which had forced them into early marriage. Some students who had originally enrolled into the senior secondary class had dropped out due to change in career goals. Some have taken up such careers like carpentry, tailoring, hairdressing and other types of vocational training. Parent’s attitudes level of education, family size and socio-economic status contributes to the rate of dropout from the senior secondary school. According to Oraemesi J. L (1987) parents no longer encourage their children to pursue secondary education, one argument for this is the education these days do not yield economic benefits whereas investing the same number of years and fund which have been budgeted for education in trade or business will yield greater profit. A good number of students withdraw from senior secondary school due to poor socio-economic status of their parents. The serious economic crisis in the country has impoverished many homes and as a result they are unable to aord school fees, uniforms, books for their children. These and many other attendant problem facing students and parents have made them disillusioned by what formal education can give them hence the dropping of the senior secondary school.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Dropout from the senior secondary is an aspect of educational wastage and should be treated as a problem facing secondary school in particular and education in general. As been established in the previous section of this chapter, senior secondary school classes are empty due to the rate of dropout from school. It has also been established in the background to the problem that institutional administrators, educational planners, policy makers both at state and national levels, students and guidance and counselors have reacted out differently, times to the rate at which secondary school in the rural areas especially are becoming depopulated. But the problem of interest – this study is to determine the relationship between the rate of dropout from the senior secondary schools in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo state and the factor is as follow:- Graduate unemployment, early marriage, unexpected pregnancy, financial difficulties, change in career goals, parent’s attitude, educational levels, socio-economic status and family size. The study is also interested in determining what other factor might be related to the rate of dropout.