Causes of School Dropout in Secondary Schools in Makindye Division- Uganda

ABSTRACT

The study on the "causes of school dropout in Uganda" was carried out in Makindye, with specific aims of; determining the reasons of school drop out, finding out whether more girls drop out from school than boys and investigating the role played by the curriculum and the instructors in school drop out. A review of related literature was carried out on already existing information on the specific aims of this paper as a way of comprehending the problem and enriching the study findings, through quantitative and qualitative research designs under which questionnaires and interviews were administered to I 00 randomly selected respondents. It was submitted that students dropped out due to poverty, early child labour, lack of guidance, parents preferential treatment, diseases and disabilities and that more girls dropped out as compared to boys because; girls performed poorer, puberty factor, withdrawal of the girl child and early pregnancies. Curriculum and instructors were revealed to play a paii in the dropout rate because of negative reinforcements, segregation, lack of teaching aids, poor administration and motivation. The study concluded that there is need to fight poverty, provide equal, an enabling environment to the disabled and avoiding exposing children to early child labour. Children should be left to attend lessons regularly and girls be given a second chance in case of pregnancy. The study recommends Supervision of teaching and refresher courses; inculcation of vocational training in c111Ticulum; teamwork; supplying scholastic materials by ministiy; exercising of ethics of by teachers; adopting strategies which consider needs of learners; endless communication; exercising control; adjusting physical environment; better coordination; evaluation and formulation of sound objectives; recording and repo1iing; preparation of time tables and schemes of work; provision of bursaries and reducing biasness by teachers and training leaders to care for the OVCs.