Factors influencing dropout among rural junior high school female students in the Effutu municipality

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the factors that cause dropouts among junior high school girls in rural schools in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. The study employed the qualitative research approach and adopted a phenomenological design. The purposive sampling technique was adopted to sample the participants for the study. The main instrument used for data collection is the interview guide. The data collected was analysed thematically in line with the research objectives. The study revealed that unconducive learning environment, poor school administration, poor academic achievement, and poor relationship between female learners and teachers were some of the factors that led to girls’ dropout of junior high schools in rural communities in the Municipality. The study also revealed that, parents preferred investing in male ward education because, cultural practices considered the education of a male as good investment and the education of a female child as a poor investment, leading to girls dropout from school. Based on the finding of the study, it was recommended among others that, all stakeholders, including the school, the community, and the government must collaborate efficiently in putting in place proactive interventions aimed at supporting female learners who exhibit the desire to drop-out of school. The public schools in the Municipality should be mandated to organize parents’ association meetings to deliberate on the problems affecting their girls’ education, and then take steps to address them.