SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOL DROPOUT IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This research is conducted to find out the socio-cultural variables that lead to school dropout in Punjab Pakistan using mixed method i.e quantitative and qualitative. This research focused on the most important factors that account for dropout of students eg economic policies, parental education role, culture, and gender related issues. The results imply that of the total population of the children within the age bracket of 10–16 years in Punjab 24% have dropped out of school and out of this 62% includes the girls. Among those children living in households with a school dropout, financial hardship is the most often cited factor, noted by 50% of those parents, while 37% of the child labor that dropouts were engaged in was domestic and agricultural labor. The analysis of the data from the interviews and focus groups showed that most of the parents had the perception that formal education is not important for girls and that early they and should this take on was certain roles seen and as get the married main cause of dropout. Also, most of the families were not aware of the government initiatives for education and the physical barriers including the distance to the school were common reasons stated for not attending school. Dropout rate was also significantly higher in the rural districts than in the urban areas thus highlighting the effects of regional inequality in education completion rates.