THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CERTAIN INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS AND STUDENTS WITHDRAWAL RATES IN SCHOOLS

1.1 Introduction

School withdrawal describes an early dropout from education. Premature withdrawing students ultimately do not receive a certificate of graduation. The global problem of school dropout is one that the education sector faces everywhere. Fun and Wolters (2014) asserted that the completion of secondary education is crucial for facilitating entry-level work, in addition to offering a sufficient basis for future professional advancement and enabling one to interact with technology.

Mohammed et al. (2017) stated that student withdrawal is a significant issue that affects both the community and the student body. One of the most important things in tackling the social and economic difficulties that restrict the advancement of human resources utilization in developing countries understands the variables that lead to secondary school dropouts (Mohammed et al., 2017).

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Education is a potent weapon that can be utilized to fight poverty, illiteracy, and sickness while also producing people who can contribute positively to society, according to Isife and Ogakwe (2012). Education serves as a tool for national development. It can also be used to bring forth a person's latent abilities. It is the only way to end illiteracy in any given community. It is impossible to overstate the value of education for the advancement of the person and the country. Any nation may accelerate the growth of its economic, human, and technological resources by making this wise investment.

Analogously, earlier research from the 1970s and 1980s tended to link student attrition to their inability to adapt to the classroom. Though it appears that observers now agree that individual attrition whether intentional or unintentional usually results from a combination of several factors rather than a single incident (Yorke, 2022; Braxton, 2022). Student attrition in schools has been a serious problem for academics, parents, and educational planners ever since western education was introduced to Nigeria in the middle of the 19th century. While there isn't a single definition for attrition, most define it as when students leave or withdraw from school during regular semesters for any reason other than death or to transfer to another school before graduating or finishing their course of study.

According to Onwuka (2012), education is the tool utilized to set individuals free from isolation and incapacitation. An individual's conduct typically changes when they are released from conditions such as illiteracy, marginalisation, or incapacitation. This shift affects the individual's outlook on life as a whole (Apebende, 2013). Due to criminal activity, there is a high percentage of insecurity in the nation during the moment this study is being conducted. According to surveys conducted by the print and electronic media, youngsters who have dropped out of school are responsible for more than 85% of the criminal activity that is carried out in Nigeria. For many well-meaning Nigerians, this situation is now a major source of concern.

According to Cabus and Witte (2015), one of the biggest issues that have plagued our educational system ever since Nigeria gained its independence is school dropout. The issue of dropouts has already taken hold of our educational system prior to our independence. This investigation is being conducted at a time when criminal activity is causing a high level of insecurity throughout the nation. Research conducted by print and electronic media outlets suggests that more than 85% of criminal actions in Nigeria are carried out by young people who have dropped out of school (Carlson, 2014).

Reasons for student dropouts were divided into four groupings by Awwal (2015): school-related, job-related, family-related, and community-related. Awwal went on to list other elements that each cluster included that had an impact on students quitting school. Limited parental education, limited family support for education, low family socioeconomic position, conflicts between job and school, having to work and school, having to work or maintain the family, drug abuse, and pregnancy are some of the characteristics listed within the family cluster.

De Cos (2005) reviewed the significance of graduating from a higher education school and observed that the demand for postsecondary education has increased as the economy has shifted from being primarily dependent on manufacturing to being more dependent on services, technology, and a "knowledge economy." Nowadays, the majority of occupations and prestige positions in Nigeria are thought to require a bachelor's or diploma from a postsecondary school. The financial security of dropouts and the general public are both significantly impacted by this phenomenon. As a visionary nation, Nigeria must work together to increase the educational attainment of its entire young people, who will be tomorrow's leaders, in this age of global economic collapse and competitiveness.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Relationship Between Certain Institutional Factors and Students Withdrawal Rates in Schools.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that students' tendency to withdraw from school is caused by a string of failing grades. School withdrawal rates are greater for students with a bad academic record than for those with a strong academic record. In Lagos State, Nigeria, poverty and poor educational achievement are pervasive and have posed a significant obstacle that has a detrimental impact on secondary school pupils' education, according to Sanda and Garba (2007).

Reports abound on a daily basis about the government's outsized expenditures on children's education, particularly with regard to the Universal Basic Education programme, which is designed to provide the groundwork for all future learning. However, the rising number of students dropping out of school, particularly in secondary school, seems to have alarmed the public and even educational authorities in recent years, despite these massive investments being made. This implies squandering of both capital assets and human resources if children drop out of school to avoid the consequences of these enormous government investments (Ekperigin, 2022).

The Nigerian school system has a serious dropout problem. Many new students are not able to finish their secondary education, and there are a number of reasons why kids leave school early. This study aims to address the disparity in previous studies on the topic of school withdrawal.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Relationship Between Certain Institutional Factors and Students Withdrawal Rates in Schools using Lagos State as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To determine whether the unavailability of instructional materials affects students withdrawal rates in schools;
2. To ascertain whether student withdrawal rates from schools are impacted by the expertise of teachers;
3. To determine the degree to which school withdrawal rates are influenced by institutional factors; and
4. To find out whether educational facilities have an impact on withdrawal rates of students in the Institution under study.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Does an educational facility have significant impact on withdrawal rates of students in the Institution under study?
• Is the withdrawal rate of students from schools impacted by the expertise of teachers?
• Does the unavailability of instructional materials affect students’ withdrawal rates in schools?
• To what extent does an institutional factor affect students’ withdrawal rates in schools?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: Poor Students' academic performance is not one of the major causes of school withdrawal among undergraduates in Nigeria
• H1: Poor Students' academic performance is one of the major causes of school withdrawal among undergraduates in Nigeria

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There are no significant factors instigating school withdrawal among undergraduates in Nigeria
• H1: There are significant factors instigating school withdrawal among undergraduates in Nigeria

1.7 Significance of Study

The results of this study would be very helpful to educational planners and administrators since they would help them create academic and social programmes, strategies for student retention in schools, and curriculum reviews to accommodate the various needs of children.

Additionally, parents will learn about various ways and strategies for managing their children and wards via this research. Additionally, parents will understand the importance of providing reasonable and basic needs that can reduce the number of students dropping out of school.

Furthermore, the study will augment the corpus of literature and other studies conducted on analogous subjects. It will therefore be a helpful tool for researchers. Also, teachers would gain from the study as well since it will increase their awareness of the various needs of the pupils under their supervision.

Finally, the results of this study will also provide administrators with additional empirical data to help them make decisions that are actionable about some characteristics that are frequently linked to teachers' effectiveness. They should be able to choose the best method for dividing up the teachers among the various courses and schools with the use of this data. This ought to influence efficiency in the long run and motivate further legislative actions pertaining to instructors.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Relationship Between Certain Institutional Factors and Students Withdrawal Rates in Schools using Lagos State as a reference point. It will also cover the solutions to the menace of school withdrawal in Lagos State.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies:Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this research work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
4. Lack of Initial Cooperation from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.10 Definition of Terms

School Dropout:

It refers to the untimely withdrawal from school. These students who withdraw from school prematurely end up not obtaining any certificate of graduation.

Institutional Factors:

It is the internal dynamics that reflects the governmental or non-governmental organizations efficiency of performances.

Withdrawal Rates:

It is the process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure.