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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Objectives of the Study The study pursued the following objectives: (1) to identify the primary causes
of dropping out among elementary and secondary students, differentiated by
academic level, gender and location (urban/rural); (2) to identify among the primary
causes those that contribute to high dropout rates in Grades 1 and 2 and First Year
level in secondary school; and (3) to identify which, among the implemented school-
based interventions, are effective in reducing high dropout rates.
Main Findings
Causes of Dropping out. The most common cause of dropping out was
poverty. Students who came from poor families left school because they had limited
resources for daily allowance, transportation fare, purchase of school uniform,
materials needed for school requirements and contributions. Boys, particularly the
older ones, were forced to leave school to help parents in the farm or to find work as
means of augmenting family income. Younger girls left school to take care of
siblings and do house chores to enable mothers to generate additional income; the
older ones sought employment to help meet the financial needs of the family. In
families under very tight economic conditions, children became less interested in
attending class, and less motivated to stay in school.
Poverty also influenced how teachers viewed the students who were potential
dropouts. Being tired from earning money, these children were unable to focus on
schoolwork. In view of their inability to come up with materials needed for school
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projects and to turn in their assignments, some teachers became less sympathetic to
them. In big urban schools, where class sizes were somewhere around seventy
students per section, teachers tended to take for granted students’ distress signals
of dropping out because they viewed leaving school as a natural phenomenon
among this type of students.
Extreme poverty also limited the capacity of the family to support their
child/children in school; it restricted parents’ options in terms of developing
strategies for creating ways to provide for the hidden costs of schooling.
Academic level, gender and location as sources of variation in causes
for dropping out. Based on the results of the study, elementary dropouts were
especially deterred from attending school because of distance between home and
school and responsibility of taking care of siblings at home. On the other hand, most
secondary school dropouts gave up schooling in order to work. In the elementary
level, Grades 1 and 2 dropouts, particularly the boys, were most affected by teacher
factor, and lack of school readiness, while those in higher levels were more
obligated to work to contribute economically to the family. The older elementary
school dropouts tended to lack school uniforms also. In the secondary level, First
Year school dropouts, according to teachers, lacked skills required for school life.
Male dropouts, in general, had lower motivation and interest levels for school
work, while females, particularly those in elementary level, had greater responsibility
of looking after siblings, many of whom needed caring because they were sick. Male
elementary school dropouts were also particularly disadvantaged when they lived far
from school and had to walk a long way to and from school.
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Urban students were more prone to loss of motivation to attend class,
difficulty in understanding lessons, and poor health while rural students were in
danger of dropping out because of distance of school from home, and family
responsibility of earning money and caring for sick parents and siblings.
Dropping out among urban elementary students was attributed to teacher
factor, distance between home and school, poor health, and tiredness from walking
to and from school. For rural elementary students, the major cause for leaving
school were work, responsibility of caring for siblings, inaccessibility of school from
home, and lack of school uniform.
Urban secondary school dropouts identified peer influence, family problems
and low grades as among causes of leaving school while those from rural secondary
school attributed it mainly to employment.
The cause for dropping out for urban males was laziness to attend class while
that for urban females was a combination of family responsibility to earn money
(work) and take care of siblings, distance of school from home and poor health.
These gender differences reveal interesting distinctions between boys and girls.
Laziness among urban males was possibly associated with distractions in the
community, teacher factor and lack of economic opportunities. For females, cultural
expectations account for their getting employed and
performing the task of looking after siblings, which could have seriously affected
their health. In rural settings, the cause for dropping for both males and females
was economic. For females, the additional task of caring for siblings served as an
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indirect economic contribution to the family because it allowed mothers to engage in
livelihood activities.
Dropping out is a social phenomenon with multiple dimensions that
include psychological, sociological and cultural factors. School dropout is a
social phenomenon with multiple dimensions, not a simple head count that is subject
to manipulation. It does not happen as a result of one single cause, but rather a
combination of them. Just like schooling, the multiple dimensions of dropping out
include psychological, sociological and cultural factors. While dropping out is rooted
in poverty, there are other circumstances and forces in school, in the family, in the
students themselves, and in the community that make them leave school.
Psychological factors contribute to dropping out. The study showed how
school climate, sense of belongingness and academic pressure contributed to
dropping out. Students themselves perceived that their schools, in general, had
positive school climate. However, in three schools (one rural elementary and two
urban secondary schools), students and parents recognized that school climate was
a significant factor for dropping out; they specifically mentioned (1) large class sizes;
(2) teachers’ manifestation of hostility to students; (3) presence of gangs and
occasional violence in school; (4) diverse backgrounds of students, especially in
urban settings; and (5) teacher’s preferential treatment and discrimination of
students. For many dropouts, academic pressure that stemmed from their inability
to procure the materials (e.g., notebooks, writing instruments, cartolina, plastic
sheets and colored paper) needed for schoolwork led to dropping out. For others,
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lack of the necessary prerequisite reading, writing and calculating skills intensified
the strain that students experienced in complying with academic requirements.
Sociological factors affect dropping out. Regarded as by-product or
natural consequence of poverty, sociological factors such as level of parental
involvement in the education of their children, school leaders’ views about dropping
out and consequent treatment of students, lack of preschool education, and
teachers’ informal evaluation of at-risk students had an effect on those who dropped
out. Parents’ failure to (1) provide financial support; (2) monitor children’s
attendance and schoolwork; and (3) give moral support were precipitating factors for
dropping out. The crucial role of preschool education in promoting school
attendance and conversely deterring dropping out in Grade 1 was acknowledged by
DepEd officials, principals and teachers. In certain cases, teachers’ informal
assessments of students affected the latter’s self-determination to stay in school.
Teachers who were indifferent to slow learners and who suggested that they quit
school incited these learners to withdraw from school.
Cultural factors influence dropping out. The study showed how hidden
curriculum, parents’ views and acceptance of dropping out, and teachers’ beliefs
about at-risk students and teaching practices predisposed weak learners to dropping
out. Among the hidden curriculum detected in urban secondary schools included the
existence of gangs and students’ preoccupation with computer gaming. Gangs, or
“tribes”, prompted the dropping out of some students who refused to pay “protection
money” to the gang members. Students who got “addicted” to computer gaming
tended to sacrifice school attendance and requirements. When taken for granted,
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aspects of the hidden curriculum would undermine the goals, programs and
processes being promoted by the official curriculum.
Among parents of dropouts, it was acceptable for an older son or daughter
to sacrifice one’s attendance in school if dropping out would contribute to family
income. It was also agreeable for any of the siblings to give up schooling in favor of
another sibling. Cultural expectations held by parents with regard to social roles of
males as breadwinners and females as caregivers and housekeepers were used as
justifications for dropping out of their children.
Teachers claimed that they had done their best to arrest dropping out in their
respective schools through the application of the usual measures, such as
monitoring student progress through home visitations, talking to parents, conducting
remedial classes, giving guidance to students and collaborating with parents. The
institutionalization of these practices had promoted teachers’ complacency because
of their belief that these measures worked. While parents concurred with what
teachers had done, some students felt that the efforts were not enough because of
teachers’ frequent absence from class, boring teaching methods, hostility to
students, and favoritism.
Interventions that directly address the needs of students and parents
were the most successful. Interventions applied to address the dropout problem
varied from standard procedures to responsive strategies and assistance programs
specially designed by private organizations. Routine preliminary procedures such as
sending letters to parents, home visits and parent conferences were usually carried
out when a student had been absent for a period of time. Of the three, home visit
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was the most effective way of drawing the absentee student back to school.
Interventions that directly addressed the needs of students and parents such as
breakfast programs, remedial classes and financial assistance had also been
successful because of their immediate and visible impact on recipients. Equally
effective were intensive, specifically focused and closely monitored programs by
international organizations and NGOs such as Strengthening the Implementation of
Basic Education in selected provinces in the Visayas Project (STRIVE ) and the
Child-Friendly School System (CFSS). Carefully designed remediation procedures
such as Alternative Learning Systems (ALS), Modified In School-Out School
Approach (MIS-OSA) and Effective and Affordable Secondary Education (Project
EASE) had shown promising results in reducing dropout rates in schools where they
had been initially implemented.
Recommendations
The following recommendations are proposed:
1. Adoption of a Multi-Sectoral Management Approach to Dropout
Reduction
2. Implementation of CFSS in all public elementary schools
3. Enhanced community investment in Early Childhood Care and
Development (ECCD)
4. Development of teacher recruitment strategy and empowerment program
nchored on the National Competency-Based Teacher Standards
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Practical Solutions
The following are suggested practical solutions defined in terms of proposed
program, goal, cooperating program(s), program implementer(s) and partner
agency(ies): (1) a Multi-Sectoral Management Council for Dropout Reduction; (2) a
community lodging; (3) a food production initiative; (4) a re-entry program for out-of-
school youth (OSY); (5) a teacher development program; and (6) parenting
seminars.
Creation of a Multi-Sectoral Management Council for Dropout
Reduction. The complexity of the dropout phenomenon calls for the creation of a
multi-sectoral management council in every school district where different
stakeholders are represented for purposes of sharing social responsibility, i.e.,
increasing school attendance through reduction of dropping out. To this effect, both
the school and family, as major stakeholders, take the center stage, while the school
system, the office of school division superintendent (SDS), the barangay or local
government unit, and the Parent-Teacher-Community Association (PTCA) can serve
as major implementers of school dropout reduction program. Partner agencies
represented in the council include government agencies like the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units (barangay,
municipal and provincial). Experts in the academe and representatives of civil
society are also part of this council.
The council should be guided by the following six key components of effective
schools: (1) Efficient organizational structure; (2) Positive school climate; (3)
Responsive instruction and support programs; (4) Integrated academic curriculum;
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(5) Empathic teachers and school personnel; and (6) Coordinated community
involvement.
The council should effectively address the following: (1) the hidden costs of
schooling, particularly for students who come from economically disadvantaged
families; (2) sponsorship of programs for young children and part-time employment
opportunities during weekends and vacation periods for older ones; (3) provision of
transportation services and car-pooling initiatives with the help of parents and
members of the community; and (4) setting up of storeroom for school supplies,
textbooks and school uniforms collected from donors .
The office of SDS should adopt a policy that puts a cap on school
contributions for expensive projects including so-called desirable contributions to
anti-TB campaign and the Philippine National Red Cross.
The members of this council should be guided by the value of mutual help
because “Every child/youth matters.”
Setting Up a Community Lodging. To solve the problem of inaccessibility
of schools, particularly in rural areas, a school or community lodging should be set
up through the initiative of the school head, barangay leader(s), and parent
volunteers from the PTCA, and with the participation of partner agencies/groups
such as the DSWD, civil society, interested NGOs and the donor community More
importantly, this program should include parenting by volunteer surrogate parents
and transient teachers who will also supervise food preparation, personal hygiene
and sanitation, and homework. With the joint efforts of the school, the barangay
government, and other community volunteers, food donations can be solicited from
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parents themselves who have the resources to share and from other community and
private sector donors. This program should articulate the value of self-help,
independence and mutual cooperation. Drawing from the experience of settlement
farm schools in the distant past, food production should be a major component of
this dropout reduction program and the school curriculum. This practical solution is
in line with the following objectives of the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda
(BESRA): (1) universal school participation and elimination of dropouts and
repetition in first three grade levels; and (2) total community commitment to the
attainment of basic education competencies for all.
In urban schools with an overwhelming student population, another scheme
or solution can be adopted and tested, such as the solicitation of donations from
concerned citizens for purposes of providing transportation fare, provision of part-
time livelihood activities at the high school level and re-entry program for OSY.
School Food Production. To increase the level of student participation in
school, food production and feeding programs are suggested as practical solutions
to dropping out. In rural elementary and secondary schools, where there is usually
an idle vacant land on school campus or within the vicinity of the school, food
production can be adopted to promote the value of self-reliance, self-sufficiency,
cooperation and industry. As a legitimate component of Edukasyong Pantahanan at
Pangkabuhayan (EPP) for the elementary level, practical arts teachers should
engage students in Gulayan sa Paaralan Program and other food production
activities. Volunteer parents, representative(s) from the Department of Agriculture,
members of civil society and NGO members can participate in food generation and
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production to make the food supply for the nutrition/feeding program self-sufficient.
Meanwhile, barangay government should maintain its support for the feeding
program, particularly at the lower grade levels.
Re-entry Program for OSY. For OSY who have dropped out of school or
students who are at the point of dropping out for economic and family reasons,
secondary schools should consider the adoption of the Bureau of Secondary
Education Effective and Affordable Secondary Education (Project EASE), the
Modified In School-Off School Approach (MIS-OSA), and the No Dropout Learning
System-Education for All (NODROPS LS-EFA). Likewise, OSY should be
encouraged to consider participation in community-based programs through the
alternative learning systems (ALS) and to take their equivalency certification.
Analogous programs should be developed and offered by the Bureau of Alternative
Learning Systems (BALS) and by similar service providers. The success of schools
depends largely on the extent to which they are able to provide the necessary
instruction for learners, in whatever circumstances in life they are found.
In this regard, teachers should also be knowledgeable on how to implement
these programs, including strategies utilized in the delivery of these alternative
learning programs. A responsive and flexible instructional strategy allows students
to perform their family duties without necessarily sacrificing their education.
Since most OSY come from poor families, the DSWD can help DepEd plan
interventions for these families. OSY are dropouts who have left school for a
considerable period of time. Some OSY and dropouts have gotten into trouble with
the law. Information from BJMP experts can help schools deal with students who
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are at-risk of dropping out because of their behavior problems. Focus group
discussions with barangay officials and representatives of these agencies will be
most valuable in developing interventions that will be of help to parents.
Development of Teaching Competencies. The development of teaching
competencies, especially in dealing with at-risk students should be taken seriously
by the school division, school district and the schools themselves. To reduce the
number of school dropouts, teachers should be empowered through in-service
training programs focused on the implementation of the National Competency-Based
Teacher Standards or NCBTS (Teacher Education Council & Department of
Education, 2006). The acquisition or re-acquisition of competencies in the following
domains is crucial in dealing with at-risk students: (1) Social Regard for Learning; (2)
Learning Environment; (3) Diversity of Learners; (4) Curriculum; (5) Planning
Assessment and Reporting; (6) Community Linkages; and (7) Personal Growth and
Professional Development. However, in view of teachers’ hostility to students, the
first three domains should be given more emphasis.
Helping teachers understand that experiences of academic success,
relevance of schoolwork to important personal goals, the perception that adults in
school care about them, and assistance in dealing with immediate personal
concerns are key to effective instruction and academic programs.
Teachers should also be trained (or retrained) in the use of instructional
methods that encourage learners to have more engagement in teaching-learning
activities. The importance and effectiveness of play activities should be capitalized
by teachers, particularly those who teach Grades 1 and 2. Teaching methods and
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learning materials based on prior learning and those that allow children to actively
participate in constructing knowledge, with guidance from teachers, should also be
utilized in place of the usual approach of having students copy lessons from the
blackboard.
Teachers who have attended in-service training seminars on effective
instruction should be encouraged to share what they have learned; some of them
can be trainers of their peers. Training programs for teachers on classroom
management approaches, alternative delivery modes and alternative learning
systems should be designed and provided, particularly for those handling large class
sizes in highly urbanized areas, those in communities that have seasonal agricultural
cycles, and those with recurring high dropout rates.
Another program that allows learners to participate in the teaching-learning
experience is the Project E-Instructional Management by Parents, Community and
Teachers (or E-IMPACT) Learning System. This program creates opportunities for
parents and other members of the community to provide instruction to those who
cannot regularly attend school in order to avoid interruption in their education
experience.
Experts in the academe whose training and background include psychology,
sociology and anthropology can be asked to help teachers achieve these
competencies. It is, therefore, essential that teacher education institutions (TEIs)
and the Teacher Education Council (TEC) are regarded as partners of school
division offices, school districts and schools in the re-training and empowerment of
teachers, where respect for human dignity, social responsibility and public service
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are given emphasis. Topics to be discussed and given emphasis should include
critical pedagogy, hidden curriculum, teacher expectation, violence against students,
humanizing teaching, and scaffolding success for disadvantaged students.
In order to ensure instructional effectiveness, close monitoring of teachers
with regard to teaching skills is also recommended, especially for beginning
teachers. Teachers who have just attended in-service training should also be
monitored to promote change in teaching practices. This task can be carried out by
those whose responsibility is to oversee the quality of classroom instruction.
Parenting Seminars. Meetings, seminars or conferences for parents on how
to assist their children in school should be organized on a regular basis, and
conducted during a time most convenient to parents who work or are employed.
Barangay meetings can serve as a venue to communicate expectations and
practices that promote student participation in school. Parenting seminars that
address parents’ needs can be organized by community leaders and key individuals
and businessmen. The assistance of educators, psychologists, social workers and
other helping professionals in the community can be sought in providing seminars on
parenting skills and similar topics to help parents provide psychological support and
practical support for their children in school. If necessary, the support of the
barangay officials can be solicited in terms of informing parents and obtaining their
participation in such programs. Social marketing campaigns can be devised by
members of the community for this purpose.
There are many other practical solutions that the schools, school districts, and
school division offices can seriously think about, adopt and implement. The creation
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of a Multi-Sectoral Council on Dropout Reduction is an essential step toward
effective solutions. This council is the source of well-designed programs as well as
the effective implementation of these programs. The council can articulate best the
goals of dropout reduction program in specific sites, learn from the experience of
cooperating programs, and invite and steer program implementers and partner
agencies. Dropout reduction is everyone’s concern. It is a public good and a public
service.