Comparison of urban and rural dropout rates of distance students (original) (raw)
Related papers
2009
This paper reports on the results of an analytical, cross-sectional, comparative study adopting tracer methodologies to establish the determinants of student dropout from two external degree programmes of Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. Distance education (DE) has the capacity to increase access to education as an alternative to face-to-face instruction. Using stratified sampling, continuing students and students who dropped out of the Bachelor of Education (External) degree and the Commonwealth diploma in Youth in Development Work were selected as samples while purposive sampling was used to select lecturers and administrators. Findings showed that socio-cultural and financial factors mainly contributed to the student dropout. Other factors included environmental factors like the teaching and learning environment, transfers from one working place to another, loss of jobs, demanding jobs, sickness and feelings of isolation. It is recommended that there should be advocacy for t...
Comparative Analysis of Dropout and Student Permanence in Rural Higher Education
Sustainability
The growing dropout and low permanence of rural students in higher education has become a central problem in the education system, both affecting the quality conditions of training programmes and preventing the materialisation of the benefits that achieving this educational level entails for society. However, the study of these events in rural populations is scarce, resulting in an inadequate treatment of dropout and, consequently, the impossibility of consolidating student permanence. Thus, the aim of this article is to identify which individual, academic, socio-economic, and institutional variables influence the dropout and the retention of the rural student population in higher education. To achieve this purpose, a cross-sectional study was defined. The sample used was a non-probabilistic sample with an n of 269 rural Colombian students who were administered a self-report questionnaire that assessed 59 variables. Data analysis was based on means comparison and cluster modelling. ...
The Impact of Higher Education Dropout on Poverty
Data on higher education (HE) trends in South Africa indicate that 50% of students enrolled in higher education institutions (HEIs) drop out in their first three years, with about 30% dropping out in their first year (see .3). 1 This is despite the fact that some of these students will have passed their Senior Certificate with endorsement, merit or distinction. Many students also come from poverty-stricken families and are indebted to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and other education funding agencies which support their studies. The dropout phenomenon does therefore not bode well for efforts to break the vicious cycle of poverty and is the major cause of the unacceptably low throughput rates in the HE system. This chapter draws on the HSRC's Student Pathways Study , which examined student dropout in South Africa's HE system, focusing on seven HEIs in particular. The aim of this chapter is to share some of the key emergent trends identified in the Study. It presents the design of the Study and its background, showing that it arose out of concern about low graduation and success rates. The dropout phenomenon is discussed, both in general and in relation to the Study's preliminary findings, and the case of one of South Africa's three historically black universities is presented in detail. The chapter concludes with an examination of the extent of student poverty and the necessity to assess academic underperformance in this context.
In South Africa, prior to 1994, the racially defined geographical neighbourhood in which a child resided usually determined which school they could enrol in. Post 1994, this changed to legally allow enrolment in any public school. Unfortunately, due to the legacy of apartheid, in particular, resource allocation inequity, schools in African areas seldom offered quality education. Thus, African parents seeking quality public education for their children had to either opt for commuting or moving home, both options having financial implications. For the purposes of this study, quality education is defined using three variables: matriculation pass rates, learner-to-teacher ratios, and quintile rankings, even though use of these variables have their limitations. Almost two decades since the demise of apartheid, this study found that there is still a strong relationship between the old ‘apartheid’ geographical zoning, where the right to reside in an area was previously designated by race, and resourced schooling in the South African province of Gauteng. It also found a collinear relationship between resourced schools, teacher-to-learner ratios, school fees and matriculation pass rates. That is, schools ranked as quintile 4 and 5 schools, which have low teacher-to-learner ratios and charge more than R6 500 per year in school fees, generally produce high matriculation pass rates. There were some exceptions, with a few no-fee, quintile one schools, located in formerly African zoned areas, which also achieved high matriculation pass rates.
6 Student poverty in higher education: The impact of higher education dropout on poverty
Data on higher education (HE) trends in South Africa indicate that 50% of students enrolled in higher education institutions (HEIs) drop out in their first three years, with about 30% dropping out in their first year (see .3). 1 This is despite the fact that some of these students will have passed their Senior Certificate with endorsement, merit or distinction. Many students also come from poverty-stricken families and are indebted to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and other education funding agencies which support their studies. The dropout phenomenon does therefore not bode well for efforts to break the vicious cycle of poverty and is the major cause of the unacceptably low throughput rates in the HE system. This chapter draws on the HSRC's Student Pathways Study , which examined student dropout in South Africa's HE system, focusing on seven HEIs in particular. The aim of this chapter is to share some of the key emergent trends identified in the Study. It presents the design of the Study and its background, showing that it arose out of concern about low graduation and success rates. The dropout phenomenon is discussed, both in general and in relation to the Study's preliminary findings, and the case of one of South Africa's three historically black universities is presented in detail. The chapter concludes with an examination of the extent of student poverty and the necessity to assess academic underperformance in this context.
Student poverty in higher education: The impact of higher education dropout on poverty
Data on higher education (HE) trends in South Africa indicate that 50% of students enrolled in higher education institutions (HEIs) drop out in their first three years, with about 30% dropping out in their first year (see .3). 1 This is despite the fact that some of these students will have passed their Senior Certificate with endorsement, merit or distinction. Many students also come from poverty-stricken families and are indebted to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and other education funding agencies which support their studies. The dropout phenomenon does therefore not bode well for efforts to break the vicious cycle of poverty and is the major cause of the unacceptably low throughput rates in the HE system. This chapter draws on the HSRC's Student Pathways Study , which examined student dropout in South Africa's HE system, focusing on seven HEIs in particular. The aim of this chapter is to share some of the key emergent trends identified in the Study. It presents the design of the Study and its background, showing that it arose out of concern about low graduation and success rates. The dropout phenomenon is discussed, both in general and in relation to the Study's preliminary findings, and the case of one of South Africa's three historically black universities is presented in detail. The chapter concludes with an examination of the extent of student poverty and the necessity to assess academic underperformance in this context.
The purpose of this research is to investigate and analyse higher education institutions' enrolment and drop-out rates within the Gauteng province, South Africa. Large-scale secondary data from the General Household Survey, obtained from Statistics South Africa (2012) were used. This study's findings show that finance, orphan-hood, transport to the higher education institutions and, to a lesser extent, unplanned pregnancies, are some of the main factors that affect the enrolment rate of students. This study hopes to be useful to policy-makers, research managers and other decision-makers within the higher education (HE) landscape.
South Africa’s education system remains one of the most unequal systems worldwide, despite over 20% of national GDP being spent on education. Although the government in recent years has generated much educational policy, scant real improvements in learner success rates and labor market returns are realized. Especially worrisome is the effect urbanization plays upon education, given the extremely unequal divide between wealthy cosmopolitan areas and urban slums on city peripheries. This research examines how the South African government addresses concerns for urban pupils through policies and reports. It questions whether policy is formulated from appropriate research, and why it routinely ignores students residing in urban fringes. Drawing on research conducted during the past year in Washington and Cape Town provide a mixed methods approach to data collection. Reports utilize quantitative regressions of educational indicators that behave differently when analyzed between national, Provincial and urban spatial areas. Findings indicate that policy inherently failings students in urban poor schools, due to complete lack of adequate data reporting specific to urban areas, as well as a lack of monitoring programs. Without explicitly defined municipal responsibilities, national policies are applied vigorously and without local case studies and impact assessments. It points to the vitality of city-specific research, calling for a comprehensive installment of monitoring and evaluation assessments for the Department of Basic Education.
Journal of Education and Vocational Research
South Africa experiences a significant amount of dropouts of high school learners every year. Only about 45% of learners who start primary school in a given year write matriculation examinations after 10 years of schooling. A high dropout rate deprives the country of well-informed and competent future leaders. This study looks at the factors that underlie dropout in high schools in the Vhembe district. A random sample of 5 villages was selected from 25 villages which have high schools. A census of high school dropouts in these 5 villages was conducted. About 660 dropouts were obtained and interviewed. Applying regression modeling, this study shows that poor performance, attitude, punishment and pregnancy are the factors affecting dropout in Vhembe, and recommends that educators encourage learners to develop positive attitude to school work and also give extra assistance to under-performing learners, and sex education be given with seriousness to reduce unwanted pregnancies.
High university drop-out rates: A threat to South Africa’s future
South Africa’s university graduation rate of 15% is one of the lowest in the world. Higher education also reflects broader inequalities, with the graduation rate for white students more than double that of black students. Black students are generally under-represented at universities, a demographic reality that promises to reproduce racial inequalities well into the future. Broader steps to tackle poverty and inequality are needed to address these disparities in higher education. In addition, we recommend a voucher system to support lower-income students.