Grade Repetition and School Dropout

Abstract

The issue of grade repetition is relevant for policy and practice in every education system around the world—and yet it is rarely the topic of research in low-income countries. Typically, grade repetition is coupled with a second concern: early school dropout. Together, they are believed represent a constraint upon access to education—preventing children from progressing through school. On the other hand, repetition often intends to emphasize standards and enforce the quality of education. In this way, the issue of grade repetition represents the possible tension between access and quality, but methodological challenges associated with the study of repetition make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions. This chapter investigates the association between repeating a grade and dropping out of school, the defining theme of existing literature on repetition in low-income countries. Empirical analysis in the sample of Ugandan schools brings to light two other concerns: age of entry into primary school and language of instruction.