An investigation of inside school factors which may contribute towards the high drop out rate in some of Lesotho secondary school.
Date
2010-03-02T06:52:14Z
Authors
Setlolela, Isaac M. M.
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Abstract
Statistics both from inside Lesotho and outside Lesotho indicate that there is a high drop-out rate in Lesotho schools (Ministry of Education and Training, 2007; Unite Nations Sub-Saharan Regional Report, 2006). This is despite the efforts of the government of Lesotho to try to bring down the rates of drop-out on all levels of schooling. In an effort to try to achieve this, the government in 2002 implemented a long waited programme of free education for all which was in line with the undertaking of many countries who are signatories to the Education for All (EFA) initiative. This was done so that all children can have access to free basic education.
However this initiative along with other reforms and initiatives taken by the government which provide bursaries for poor children (Nyabanyaba, 2008; MOET, 2007) so that learners can go to school, many learners still continue to drop-out of school. It is upon this basis that I decided to investigate whether there are factors inside schools which may be responsible for such a high drop out rate among learners in Lesotho secondary schools. In carrying out this research it was important that I engaged with actors within schools to get an understanding of what it is that may be pushing learners out of school.
The interactionist approach in this regard was very appropriate and helpful as Blumer (1969) and Cohen (1985) point out that through interactionism, one is able to get an understanding as to the processes that shape people‟s actions, thinking and why they react to circumstances the way they do. And interactionism again offered me an opportunity to understand what „strategies‟ they use to „cope‟ with the world Woods (1983). From this perspective ways in which actors make choices, improve and counter others‟ strategies in their „habitus‟ (Bourdieu, 1977) come under scrutiny.
My reason for taking this direction was based on my belief that it is not only factors outside school which can contribute to the high drop-out rate, but other
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factors from inside school can have the same impact as well. Many young people dropped out of school and may not be in a position to live „various lifestyles‟ (Sen, 2001). This is because once they drop out of school many of them take low paying jobs which force them to work under poor conditions, risking their lives and making them to live in poverty which counts among many forms of „unfreedoms‟ (Sen, 2001).
I selected four secondary schools to carry out my research. The participants in each school were ex-learners, one teacher and a principal. Two schools were based in the rural area while the other two schools were based in the urban area. I used Education Management Information System (EMIS) and other school resources to find out where the drop-out rate was the highest. I had originally intended to interview and administer a questionnaire to 40 ex-learners, 10 from each school, but I could only locate 25 learners as some had relocated to other places inside and outside Lesotho. All the interviews I had with teachers and principals, one from each school were tape-recorded. Ex-learners interviews were tape-recorded as well. The tape-recorded interviews were later transcribed.
My findings revealed that there exists an atmosphere of fear among learners particularly when it comes to their teachers. This fear as learners pointed out was caused by „bad treatment‟ learners get from their teachers. Teachers on the other hand complained that many learners were very disrespectful towards them. As a result the relationship that existed between teachers and learners was very strained as each group harboured some negative feelings towards each other. Other factors that came out included bullying, lack of teaching and learning facilities, effects of going to circumcision ceremonies especially for those schools located in the rural area and hatred of school. All these factors from inside school seem to have played a role in pushing learners out of school.