EFFECTS OF SCHOOL DROP-OUT IN BASIC SCHOOLS ON THE NASUAN COMMUNITY OF THE BUNKPURUGU-YUONYOO DISTRICT OF NORTHERN REGION

Abstract

This study was conducted at the Nasuan community of the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District with the aim of identifying and understanding the causes of school drop out and how the situation is affecting the overall development of the community. The study was purely qualitative, although some graphs and tables were used to present the data. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. For the primary data, questionnaires and interviews were used. Some key findings are that a large number of school going age pupils have abandoned school in the Nasuan community for “kayayo” activities in the southern parts of the country. “kayayo” is a migration of young females from the northern parts to southern sectors of Ghana in search of menial jobs. The study further revealed that some school going age pupils have deserted school in order to help their parents in farm trucks. It is also evident in the findings that some pupils drop out of school because of forced marriages. The study again revealed that school drop-out is affecting the overall education objectives of the Nasuan community which is derailing the effort of the District Assembly to realize its development plans, as they have to rely on non-natives in the District. This has been a challenge as many workers refuse postings to rural areas such as the Nasuan Community. The study therefore recommended, among others, that the District Assembly should develop effective public education campaign strategies to encourage parents and pupils in the Nasuan Community to embark on formal education. It also recommended that parents in the Nasuan Community should be sensitized on the demerits of forced marriages of their children. Parents should also be made to discourage their young females of school going age in the community to embark on “kayayo” in order to avoid humiliating the young females in the bid to acquiring domestic items in preparation for marriage.