Absenteeism, Dropout, and On-Time School Completion of Vulnerable Primary School Students in Ethiopia: Exploring the Role of Adolescent Decision-Making Power in the Household, Exposure to Violence, and Paid and Unpaid Work

Abstract

While Ethiopia has seen a rapid expansion of school enrollment over the past 25 years, especially in primary education, dropout, absenteeism, and grade repetition remain key challenges to achieving the education-related Sustainable Development Goals. This article uses the 2017/18 Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) survey of 6800 Ethiopian adolescents and regression analysis to examine how exposure to and /or experience of violence (from peers and at home), adolescent decision-making power in the household, and paid and unpaid child work are related to absenteeism, dropout, and on-time completion in primary school. The findings provide empirical evidence on the positive association between adolescent decision-making power in the household and educational outcomes and the negative relationships between adolescent education and both exposure to and /or experience of violence and paid and unpaid child work. We explore variations in the magnitude and robustness of these associations across gender, age cohort, and rural/urban residential location. Our findings suggest that programs which enhance decision-making power of adolescents in the household reduce exposure to and/or experience of violence among peers and at home and reduce participation in paid and unpaid child work which can improve adolescent educational attainment.

Socio-Economic Determinants of School Dropouts: An Evidence from Households in Pakistan

“…If a household has more assets then there is a .01% less chance of a child of that household to dropout from school. These results are in line with (Woldehanna et al, 2021).…”

“…In a study Woldehanna, Endale, Hamory, and Baird (2021), explore the causes of dropout, absenteeism, and grade repetition in Ethiopia by using Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) (2017-18) survey data consisting of 6800 adolescents. The study used regression model for analysis of decision making power of adolescent in the household, paid and unpaid children work contributes in dropout, school absenteeism, and on-time primary schooling completion.…”

Detecting At-Risk Students in an Animal Science Module with Performance Data (Test 1 and 2) from Two Different Cohorts in a Rural-Based University

“…Identification is key in reducing student's dropout which has been described by many world-wide [13,27] as well as in South Africa as alarming, using the leaking pipeline where students failed to complete a programme within the minimum required time or dropout [9,[14][15][16]. Among the several methods used for identification of at-risk students are; 1.…”

“…At-risk is generally used to describe students that do not perform well in a traditional educational environment and are vulnerable to failing or dropping a module or programme. Several characteristics associated with at-risk students have been discussed in different conceptual models of student's retention and dropout [27]. Tinto argue that each student is unique and their characteristics will depend on previous academic environment, family history, own abilities and values, academic intentions and commitment to the educational process [9].…”

School dropout and overeducation in developing economies: Feasibility of a budgetary solution†

“…The United Nations (2020) estimates show that the rate of school completion at primary level is only 34% for the poorest 20% of households in low‐income countries. For more evidence on school dropouts in developing countries, see Mussida, Sciulli, and Signorelli (2018), Gibbs and Heaton (2013), Hirakawa and Taniguchi (2020) and Woldehanna, Endale, Hamory, and Baird (2021)…”