Socio-Economic Factors as a Cause of Children Dropout at Primary Level

Abstract

Pakistan’s commitment to universal primary education by 2015 under EFA Framework appears elusive on current
performance, as participation is low and drop-out rates continue to be high (Govt. of Pakistan, 2009). From the review of literature,
social and economic factors were found as two main causes of children dropout; problem under study was to know about socio-economic
factors as a cause of children dropout at primary level. For the purpose, forty dropout children and their parents were interviewed using
structured interview sheet of ten statements; five for social factors and five for economic factors. The collected data was tabulated, analyzed
and interpreted in the light of the objectives of the study. Percentage was used to analyze the data as a statistical tool. Parents and children
frequency of responses with percentage on selected socio-economic factors was presented in tabular form. It was concluded that the parents’
illiteracy and their consideration of education unfruitful for their children, their engagement in earnings, financial problems of the children,
considering education as economic burden, engaging children in earning, and parents’ poor economic condition were the major areas which
caused of their children dropout, and these areas provided sufficient basis for the recommendations of this study accordingly.