Reasons of School dropout at Elementary level; Reflection of Teachers and Parents of dropped out Students

Author(s) : Zeeshan Wajid, Zeeshan Awan , Arsalan Khan

Abstract:

Abstract

Pakistan’s education system is struggling to cope with challenges related to school dropouts, increase in literacy rate and decrease in rate of out of school children. Like every other country Pakistan has also devised plans and kept it as part of educational policies so this problem can be solved. School dropout rate at elementary level is less than primary and secondary level. But it is alarming in this era of advance technologies. The mixed method research approach was used to explore the primary reasons of elementary school dropout. A questionnaire developed and validated for to collect data from elementary school teachers and open-ended interview sessions were arranged with the parents of students dropped out of schools. there are two important elements in students’ life e.g., Parents and Teachers. The teachers say they have good teacher students’ relationships and scarcity of the physical resources could be the reason for elementary school dropout. Parents believe that their survival is important and to survive in the world they had to withdraw their children from school to earn them financial resources. These parents don’t find it easy but they are satisfied with their decisions.

Keywords: School dropout, Parents perception, Teachers’ perception, reasons for dropout, out of school children, Elementary grade students.