Tracing the Reasons for Increasing Student Dropout Rate and It Impact on World Economy

From the global perspective, if we evaluate a nation we can understand its growth is related to the education of the citizen. Education has been accepted as the most powerful tool that describes a nation’s culture and its space to grow further. Moreover it has major contribution for a countries overall development in economical side, which reflects the wealth of a nation.

One of the greatest backlashes to the educational growth in a nation is the increasing rate of dropouts. The main cause of the school dropout is financial crisis to the level of poverty. The meaning of the school dropout is the student withdrawing from the basic school phases of early and secondary education. It has been found that the issue is not limited to the developing countries alone but rather extended to even developed nations. But the pathetic factor is that in developing countries dropout rate is very much higher and that too on basic schooling. Many researches are being conducted on this issue and based on that the 1 year drop out figure for US is around 1 million. In that case the condition of the developing country will be even more pathetic.

Some of the prominent questions that can be associated with school dropout include:

• What all are the main reasons for increasing number of dropouts?
• What are ways for decreasing the dropout rate?
• What are the impacts school dropouts can bring to the economy?

Increased number of student drop out in South Asia

Even though student dropout is a major concern worldwide, the rate may vary accordingly to different reasons. Suppose a country really wants to grow on the financial side, there is no other way than promoting awareness regarding importance of education and its power in transforming a nation. There is a possibility that only a small percent may come out of their life incubator and face the challenge of education, but a gradual progression of such figures can bring bigger changes to a nation’s economy. Again more than drop outs, there are many children who are not even enrolled in a school and thus not given the chance of understanding the grace of education.

The main causes of student dropouts

Financial crisis is always the main reason for the student drop out in most of the South Asian countries. May be poverty discourages children from attending school, that is leading to low attendance and further a reason for dropping out. Even the students with interest for studies are forced to dropout from school because of the family pressure. That is being financially backward; the family demands their participation on childhood work activities. If poverty is the main reason for underprivileged to stop their education, then for the other group the reason is quite academic based. That is the depression evolved from constant academic failure is assessed as the main cause. In many aspects this can be a solvable issue but not have participation of the experts. Even health issues are having a role in increased drop out. Moreover in underprivileged society, parents are not interested in providing education for their girl child and this sound as the most pathetic thing. The advanced study on this area presents social, economical, physical and personal problems as the culprits for the weakened educational growth.

Relationship between economy and student drop out

We must understand that economical growth cannot be achieved without the element, “education”. It has been found that education has direct impact on increased productivity, industrial growth, high employment opportunities and women empowerment. Education can lead a potential student to enhanced creative and technical approach, thus resulting in rapid global development. Dropout cost a lot to the economy. In future, joblessness may haunt them with poverty, depression and poor support for their coming generation.

From different studies it is understood that the reason for dropout is not limited to one reason, but to a lot of issues. The discrepancies in the reasons exist between financially sound group and the less privileged ones. If poor academic performance is the major cause for the economically sound group then for poor, poverty and lack awareness are considered as culprits. Whatever may be the reason; a joined effort can eradicate or at least lower down the high rate of the student dropout.