CAUSES OF DROPOUT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UGHELLI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE

CAUSES OF DROPOUT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UGHELLI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE (GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education, which has rightly been conceived as a preparation for life, is a productive activity and an investment in human resources. A progressive and welfare state (country) would never ignore its indisputable need for socialisation of its masses of which education is considered to be the chief organ for this purpose. Education is an important component of economic and social development and contributes significantly to a country’s progress. It is considered to be the investment in human capital as it builds human capabilities, which is a vital nation-building ingredient. Without spread of literacy, the dream of socio-economic development of the country can never be realized (Abdul, Q.M., Muhammad, A. and Faiza, B., 2004).

According to Abdul etal (2004), Secondary education is an important sub-sector of the entire education system. It varies from country to country. It is the schooling designed for students in the age bracket of 12-16 years who are enrolled in secondary schools. Secondary education is a stage where, a student enters at adolescence, the most crucial state in one’s personality development. It comes at a time when a child is in his/her most impressionable and formative years. At this particular time, the features of future men, women and citizens are beginning to appear and require full encouragement and sympathetic help in the development.

A common feature observed in most developed nations is higher attainment in education than the developing nations. For instance, according to Egwunyenga and Nwadiani (2004), Britain had 98% education attainment, United States of America 89% while Nigeria and Sudan had 59% and 33% respectively as reported by the World Bank (1996) on development indicators. This properly informed the reason the Federal Government is seen to have priority attention to the supply of education in the first two levels (primary and secondary) as reflected in the launched Universal Basic Education (UBE) Scheme in May 2000. A common feature in the Nigerian educational system in the issue of drop-out. According to Hornby, A.S. (2008), drop-out means a person who leaves school or college before they have finished their studies. It also means one who withdraws or quits from school or a given social group.

CAUSES OF DROPOUT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UGHELLI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE (GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)