Educational Marginalization in Rural Pakistan: Sociocultural Economic Determinants for Policy Implications

Abstract

In the socioeconomic context of the Koh-e-Suleman Tamun Qaisrani region of District Dera Ghazi Khan, the research examined the critical issue of early school departure and its multifaceted implications for the community and broader economic progress. Addressing a core aspect of human capital formation and societal development, the study scrutinized the impact of educational discontinuation on a country's overall advancement, emphasizing the linkage between early school dropout and a low literacy rate with manifold concomitant social challenges. Using a methodological approach encompassing convenient sampling techniques, data was elicited from 250 respondents via questionnaires. The research's analytical focus unearthed a clear correlation between parental income and literacy levels with students' dropout ratios and early school leaving tendencies. Key determinants were identified, including familial socioeconomic background, peer relationships, cultural phenomena such as early marriages, and logistical barriers like school distance. The findings divulged that lower parental income and literacy contribute to higher dropout rates and augmented probabilities of premature educational withdrawal. The study thus expounded a sociological critique of these systemic failures, accentuating the state's onus to ameliorate these issues. Recommendations were proffered, accenting the government's obligation to furnish elementary school amenities and institute financial aid measures for economically disadvantaged students, thereby cultivating an environment conducive to the amelioration of this profound social malaise.