FACTORS INFLUENCING SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG FEMALE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS IN THE PUSIGA DISTRICT

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing female pupils dropping out from Junior High Schools in the Pusiga District of the Upper East Region. The main objectives of this study were to examine school based-factors and home-based factors that influence female students' dropout in the Pusiga District. The study also intended to make a contribution to the existing literature in order to come out with effective ways of curbing girl child school dropout. The study made use of a descriptive survey design. It was delimited to only public Junior High Schools in the Pusiga District. A sample of 83 female Junior High School dropouts for the 2017/2018 academic year out of a total population of 105 was drawn for the study, including 83 parents or guardians and 20 teachers constituted the sampled size. Simple random sampling, purposive sampling and snowballing were used to sample the target size. Structured Questionnaires were used to collect the data. Frequencies, simple percentages, bar charts and pie charts were used for analyzing the data. The findings showed that the situation where students continue to repeat in classes without promotion and without any necessary support, long distances from home to school, a large number of students per class, poverty, parental negligence, peer influence, sexual harassment, cultural and traditional values and societal beliefs were the main factors that influenced female pupil drop out of school. The study recommended that parents and teachers should pay more attention to the early warning signs, the Girl Child Education Unit in the District should educate and sensitize parents about the need to support the education of both genders and scholarships for the girl child should be increased at the Junior High School and special attention paid to girls at risk.