CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES TGAT CAUSES STUDENTS DROP OUT IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KEBBI STATE , NIGERIA

Abstract

Education is no doubt a significant endeavour that affects the life of people and empowers them to be useful to themselves and society in general. As a result of this, the Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced numerous educational policies to enable access, participation, and benefit in secondary school education. Despite these efforts, there is still a worrying trend of school dropout among students in secondary schools. The issue of dropping out of secondary school has become multifaceted, and one in every five of the world’s dropout school children is in Nigeria. Given this, the study sets out to explore the experiences, factors and challenges of secondary school dropouts in the Kebbi state of Kola Kebbi State, Nigeria. Therefore, in-depth interviews with dropped-out students, the parents and teachers selected purposely, were carried out. The interview data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software. The study's findings shed light on the diverse factors, challenges, experiences, and subsequent paths taken by secondary school dropouts. Notably, several key themes emerged, encompassing family socio-economic status, peer bullying, academic struggles, teachers' and school policies, aspirations for financial independence, parental literacy limitations, school absenteeism, family separation, and the subsequent trajectories of both male and female dropouts.The study enriches our understanding of the dropout phenomenon and provides fresh insights into its dynamics. In light of the findings, it can be concluded that influences such as peer pressure, substance abuse, peer harassment, economic hardships, and early marriages play a pivotal role in driving students to leave Government Day Secondary School, Kola. To alleviate dropout rates, this study puts forth practical strategies for identifying warning signs indicating students at risk of leaving school. This research contributes to a more comprehensive comprehension of dropout trends and offers valuable recommendations to foster student retention.

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