Social-Psychological Factors Associated with School Dropout in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Abstract

In the developing countries, education is regarded as a sine qua non for social, political, and economic development. It provides the skilled manpower needed in these countries and serves as the institutionalized process of socialization for the youth. Therefore, the nations of Africa, in spite of their precarious economic situation, devote a high proportion of their annual budgets to providing educational services. For instance, in Ghana successive governments have initiated several educational reforms since independence, such as the 1951 Accelerated Development Plan, the 1961 Education Act, the 1967 Kwapong Education Report, and the 1974 Dzobo Education Report. These measures were all aimed at broadening and diversifying the scope of education to enable as many children as possible to benefit from the system. However, despite the innovations introduced and the improved facilities, many children who avail themselves of the educational opportunities hardly complete their schooling before the first terminal point. They are forced out of school prematurely for one reason or another. As a result, school dropout has become a marked feature of the educational system, especially at the elementary school level where parental financial burden is relatively less. According to the Education Report of 1962, nearly half of the primary one (elementary school level) enrollment dropped out by the third year in most rural schools. Between 1976 and 1978, 6 percent, representing 134 out of 2,525 students, dropped out from

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