DETERMINING FACTORS FOR STUDENT’S DROPOUTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

In essence, student dropout in public secondary schools has continued to be a critical challenge undermining the achievement of inclusive and equitable quality education in Tanzania. Despite national initiatives like the Fee-Free Basic Education Policy, rural districts such as Ileje District Council continue to experience persistently high dropout rates, which threaten human capital development and worsen socio-economic vulnerabilities. This study therefore sought to explore the determining factors for student’s dropouts in public secondary schools in Ileje District Council, Songwe Region, Tanzania. Guided by the Social Reproduction Theory and the Self Determination Theory, the study employed a qualitative approach with a hermeneutic phenomenological design to capture in-depth insights into the lived experiences of key stakeholders. Evidently, pertinent data were collected through semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions and documentary reviews from a purposively selected sample of 36 participants, including education officers, teachers, parents, community members and dropout students. Conversely, both thematic and content analysis revealed that, dropout is a multifaceted phenomenon driven by the rapport of economic, cultural and school-related factors. Economically, household poverty, hidden education costs, child labour and economic migration were predominant drivers. Besides, culturally, entrenched norms such as early marriage, low value placed on girls' education and polygamous family structures significantly influenced dropout, particularly among female students. Moreover, school-related factors included poor teacher-student relationships, inadequate school infrastructure, long distances to school, and insufficient academic support. Therefore, the study concludes that, addressing student dropout in Ileje District Council requires a multi-sectoral approach that integrates poverty alleviation, community sensitization on the value of education and significant investment in improving school environments and support systems. Generally, the study findings offer valuable evidence for policymakers, educators and local government authorities to design context-specific interventions aimed at enhancing student retention and educational equity in rural Tanzania.