Early School Dropout Research Articles

Adolescent substance use and high school noncompletion: exploring the nature of the relationship using a discordant twin design.

Previous studies have demonstrated associations between substance use and reduced educational attainment; however, many were unable to account for potential confounding factors like genetics and the rearing environment. In the few studies that controlled for these factors, the substances assessed were limited to alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco. To address these limitations, we examined the relationship between adolescent use of seven kinds of substances, the number of additional substances used, and high school noncompletion within a large sample of Australian twins. A series of two-level generalized mixed effects logistic regressions were conducted to examine associations between adolescent substance use and high school noncompletion. Australia. A total of 9579 adult Australian twins from two cohorts of the Australian Twin Registry. Assessments of high school completion, childhood major depression, conduct disorder symptoms, substance use initiation, demographics, and parental educational attainment using the Australian version of the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism. There were unique within-twin-pair effects of use of sedatives (odds ratio [OR] = 22.39 [95% confidence interval(CI) = 1.18-423.48]) and inhalants/solvents (OR = 10.46 [95% CI = 1.30-84.16]) on high school noncompletion. The number of substances used in adolescence was strongly associated with high school noncompletion across all discordant twin models (ORs from 1.50-2.32, Ps < 0.03). In Australia, adolescent substance use appears to be associated with early school dropout, with the effects of any given substance largely because of the confounding factors of parental education, childhood conduct disorder symptoms, and use of other substances. Sedatives and inhalants/solvents have effects on high school noncompletion that cannot be explained by polysubstance use or familial factors.

Does free education reduce early school dropouts? Evidence from a legislative reform in India

We examine the role of free elementary education in reducing elementary school dropouts in India following the legislative reform on provision of Universal Education in 2009. We find that the impact was significant across all districts on average, but was notably higher for those at lower levels of development. Our results highlight the importance of removing barriers to schooling mainly in the form of costs that enable children in poorer areas to continue schooling. Provisions of infrastructural facilities such as toilets are also found to play a significant role in reducing dropouts. Further, our findings indicate the need for developing amenities for disabled children. Higher literacy rates are significantly associated with lower dropout rates indicating the urgent need for targeted government policies that can uplift generations out of a perpetuating education trap.

Unintelligibility, personhood and curriculum silences of intersex bodies in the Life Orientation high school classroom: A case study

Despite an increase in the research that promotes affirmative gender and sexual diversity in the South African Life Orientation (LO) education, there remains an uncomfortable silence on intersex bodies. In the absence of distinctive binary classifications of external genitalia, learners with variant intersex characteristics are incapable of integration into socio-educational environments. This article explores how individuals with variant intersex characteristics learn about the self in relation to society within LO lessons. It extrapolates factors that influence the educational and psycho-social agency in and around the classroom. This phenomenological study has drawn on in-depth interviews with six individuals with variant intersex characteristics post schooling. The evidence shows that the LO curriculum privileges distinct genital developments as a marker of normal human development and means of gender identification. Previous studies found that the mutually exclusive biological sex characteristics drawn from XY (male) and XX (female) chromosomal development were major determinants of social sexual and gender embodiment in puberty lessons. Lensed through the theory of unintelligibility, bodies that deviated from this normative development were seen as ambiguous and derogatively referred to as hermaphrodites. Their personal identities were marred with constructions of freaks and abnormality. Vilifying personhood rhetoric impacted the social skills of intersex learners and their peers. Learners with intersex bodies were uncomfortable to engage with the gender binary curriculum content, facilities and school culture. Silences on intersex bodies in the LO curriculum made these learners feel invisible which led to early school dropout. This article argues for the integration of intersex knowledge that affirms, humanises and protects all gender, sexual expressions and sex characteristics in the school context. The LO curriculum is well-positioned to disrupt problematic constructions of intersex bodies as deficit and embarrassing by including variant sex characteristic developments as a norm.

Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and Academic Performance as Psychoeducational Variables: Mediation Approach in Students.

Background: During the various stages of education, adolescents undergo emotional and motivational experiences that can play key roles in their development. This study aims to analyse the relationship among academic self-efficacy, optimism, and academic performance. Methods: This study comprised 1852 adolescent (male, N = 956, 51.61% and female, N = 896, 48.38%) aged 12–19 years (M = 14.77; SD = 1.80) from twelve secondary schools in Spain. The instruments used for the evaluation were the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and the Life Orientation Test—Revised (LOT-R); the students’ average marks were used to measure their academic performance. Results: The results of the study revealed significant correlations among self-efficacy, optimism and academic performance. Conclusions: These results emphasise the importance of academic self-efficacy as a mediating variable between the other two variables as well as its central role in the promotion of adaptive behaviours in the classroom, leading to adequate personal development, helping to prevent early school dropout and contributing to a more satisfactory academic experience.

Sociodemographic and clinical profile of crack cocaine treatment-seeking individuals living in “Crackland”, Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective: São Paulo‘s Crackland is the biggest and oldest open drug use scene in Brazil, yet little is known about the profile of crack cocaine treatment-seeking individuals living in this region. The aim of this crossectional study was to describe the demographics and clinical characteristics of treatment-seeking crack users living in the Crackland region. Methods: A sample of nighty eight individuals were screened for DSM-V substance use disorders, including substance use, impulsiveness, and psychiatric symptoms. Recent crack cocaine use was also tested using biologic specimens. Results: Results indicated severe social vulnerability, as participants experienced high rates of homelessness (46.9%), unstable housing (50%), unemployment (60.4%) and early school drop-out (27.5%). The average age of crack use onset was 20 years (SD = 6.9) and the mean duration of continuous crack use was 15 years (SD = 9.7). Most participants presented with concomitant mental health disorders, particularly alcohol use disorder (87.8%), as well high rates of psychiatric symptomatology and impulsiveness. More than half of the sample reported at least one previous inpatient (73.5%) and outpatient (65.3%) addiction treatment attempt. Conclusion: This population profile should inform mental healthcare services, promoting the provision of tailored assistance by targeting specific demands at all levels of treatment.

Application of community dialogue approach to prevent adolescent pregnancy, early marriage and school dropout in Zambia: a case study

BackgroundAdolescent pregnancy carries both health and economic risks for the pregnant girl and resulting baby, and it is common in Zambia. Providing alternative methods of preventing early pregnancy than abstinence is regarded as culturally and religiously unacceptable in most parts of the country. The community dialogue approach is being tested to address norms and beliefs around early pregnancy, marriage and school dropout, and is based on Paulo Freire’s transformative communication approach. The objective of this paper was to understand parents’ perspectives on the application of the community dialogue approach in addressing adolescents’ early pregnancy and school dropout in a cluster randomized controlled trial in rural Zambia.Methods/designThis was a case study design. We nested the study in the community dialogue intervention arm of the Research Initiative to Support the Empowerment of Girls trial in Zambia. Dialogue meetings were held and economic support was provided for a period of 27 months from September 2016 until November 2018. We held focus group discussions in November 2018 with guardians/parents in six schools in Chibombo District of Central Province. All the discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe guardians/parents perceived the community dialogue to be a relevant approach for addressing social and cultural norms regarding early pregnancy, marriage and school dropout. It was embraced for its value in initiating individual and collective change. The facilitators’ interactive approach and dialogue in the community meetings coupled with the use of films and role plays with the parents, lead to active participation and open discussions about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) topics during the community dialogue meetings. Group interactions and sharing of experiences helped parents clarify their SRH values and subsequently made them feel able to communicate about SRH issues with their children. However, cultural and religious beliefs among the parents regarding some topics, like the use of condoms and contraceptives, complicated the delivery of reproductive health messages from the parents to their children.ConclusionThe study indicated that the community dialogue was appreciated by the parents and helped in addressing cultural barriers to discussing SRH issues between generations.

Assessing the relationship between agency and peer violence among adolescents aged 10 to 14 years in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Blantyre, Malawi: A cross-sectional study.

Interpersonal violence has physical, emotional, educational, social, and economic implications. Although there is interest in empowering young people to challenge harmful norms, there is scant research on how individual agency, and, specifically, the "power to" resist or bring about an outcome relates to peer violence perpetration and victimization in early adolescence. This manuscript explores the relationship between individual agency and peer violence perpetration and victimization among very young adolescents (VYAs) living in two urban poor settings in sub-Saharan Africa (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Blantyre, Malawi). The study draws on two cross-sectional surveys including 2,540 adolescents 10 to 14 years from Kinshasa in 2017 (girls = 49.8% and boys = 50.2%) and 1,213 from Blantyre in 2020 (girls = 50.7% and boys = 49.3%). The sample was school based in Malawi but included in-school and out-of-school participants in Kinshasa due to higher levels of early school dropout. Peer violence in the last 6 months (dependent variable) was defined as a four categorical variable: (1) no victimization or perpetration; (2) victimization only; (3) perpetration only; and (4) both victimization and perpetration. Agency was operationalized using 3 scales: freedom of movement, voice, and decision-making, which were further divided into tertiles. Univariate analysis and multivariable multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate the relationships between each agency indicator and peer violence. The multivariable regression adjusted for individual, family, peer, and community level covariates. All analyses were stratified by gender and site. In both sites, adolescents had greater voice and decision-making power than freedom of movement, and boys had greater freedom of movement than girls. Boys in both settings were more likely to report peer violence in the last six months than girls (40% to 50% versus 32% to 40%, p < 0.001), mostly due to higher rates of a perpetration-victimization overlap (18% to 23% versus 10% to 15%, p < 0.001). Adolescents reporting the greatest freedom of movement (Tertile 3) (with the exception of girls in Kinshasa) had a greater relative risk ratio (RRR) of reporting a perpetrator-victim overlap (boys Kinshasa: RRR = 1.9 (1.2 to 2.8, p = 0.003); boys Blantyre: RRR = 3.8 (1.7 to 8.3, p = 0.001); and girls Blantyre: RRR = 2.4 (1.1 to 5.1, p = 0.03)). Adolescents with the highest decision-making power in Kinshasa also had greater RRR of reporting a perpetrator-victim overlap (boys: RRR = 3.0 (1.8 to 4.8, p < 0.001). Additionally, girls and boys in Kinshasa with intermediate decision-making power (tertile 2 versus 1) had a lower RRR of being victimized (Girls: RRR = 1.7 (1.02 to 2.7, p = 0.04); Boys: RRR = 0.6 (0.4 to 0.9, p = 0.01)). Higher voice among boys in Kinshasa (Tertile 2: RRR = 1.9 (1.2 to 2.9, p = 0.003) and Tertile 3: 1.8 (1.2 to 2.8, p = 0.009)) and girls in Blantyre (Tertile 2: 2.0 (1.01 to 3.9, p = 0.048)) was associated with a perpetrator-victim overlap, and girls with more voice in Blantyre had a greater RRR of being victimized (Tertile 2: RRR = 1.9 (1.1 to 3.1, p = 0.02)). Generally, associations were stronger for boys than girls, and associations often differed when victimization and perpetration occurred in isolation of each other. A main limitation of this study is that the cross-sectional nature of the data does not allow a causal interpretation of the findings, which need further longitudinal exploration to establish temporality. In this study, we observed that peer violence is a gendered experience that is related to young people's agency. This stresses the importance of addressing interpersonal violence in empowerment programs and of including boys who experience the greatest perpetration-victimization overlap.

Identified Motivation as a Key Factor for School Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic-Related School Closure.

On March 16, 2020, French schools suddenly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and middle school students were asked to study from home with no direct interactions with teachers or classmates. However, school plays an important role in the development of social, intellectual, and mental competencies and can counteract the negative effects of adverse life events on learning and early school dropout. In this study, we investigated how the unusual context of school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic affected school engagement. Specifically, we focused on inter-individual differences in the motivational determinants of school engagement. We thus performed an online survey of 170 students focusing on the time spent on mathematics assignments, motivation regulation, implicit theories of intelligence, such as adopting a growth or a fixed mindset about his/her intellectual abilities, and optimism. Importantly, the students participated in the online survey during the first lockdown period, with schools closed (T1), and the second lockdown period, with schools remaining open (T2). During T1, identified motivation positively predicted the time spent on math homework assignments: the more the students thought that working on math exercises was useful for their future life, the more time they spent studying. Importantly, the link between identified motivation and school engagement was specific to T1, when schools were closed, as indicated by a significant interaction between identified motivations by type of lockdown. These results suggest that having self-determined motivation is of particular importance when students are deprived of social and intellectual interactions with classmates and teachers. This finding paves the way toward the development of wise rational interventions that target identified motivation and can be applied during challenging societal times and adverse, common life events to keep students engaged with school.

How to deal with sickness absence among primary school pupils?

Abstract Background Missing school can lead to lower educational achievement, early school dropout and health problems. To address sickness absence in secondary schools the intervention Medical Advice for sick reported students (MASS) has been developed. Because of fundamental differences in relation to the children's age and in the schools' organisational structure, the original MASS is not suited to primary schools. The aim of this study was to adapt MASS to primary education. Methods The intervention mapping approach steps 1 through 4 were used to adapt MASS to primary schools (MASS-PS), including a literature search, stakeholder interviews and pre-testing. Results In step 1, a planning group was formed and a logic model of the problem was created based on a literature search and interviews with stakeholders. In step 2, a logic model of change was created to determine the behavioural and environmental factors that need to change to achieve the goals of the intervention. In step 3, a theoretical basis and practical strategies to adjust MASS to primary education were determined. In step 4, practical support materials were developed and two pre-tests of the materials were performed with stakeholders and end-users. Conclusions Intervention mapping was successfully used to adapt MASS to primary schools. The main changes were the lowering of the threshold for extensive sickness, consultations between teacher and absenteeism coordinator and the addition of a social worker and remedial educationalist as experts next to the child and youth healthcare physician. The second pre-test did not yield any adaptations, indicating good acceptance in practice. With MASS, extensive sickness absence among primary school pupils can be addressed as a ‘red flag' for underlying problems. Key messages Intervention mapping steps one through four were sucessfully used to adapt a secondary school intervention to adress sickness absence among students (MASS) to primary schools. With the adapted MASS intervention, extensive sickness absence among primary school pupils can be addressed as a ‘red flag’ for underlying problems.

Relationship between Early Pregnancy and School Dropout among Adolescent Girls in Arkansas, USA

Pregnancy related school dropout is an issue of public concern worldwide nowadays. The study sought to determine the effects of early pregnancies on school dropout among adolescent girls in Arkansas, USA. The study utilized the descriptive research design. The target population included school girls’ students in secondary schools based in Arkansas. Notably, the target population was 419 respondents. The data collection instruments included questionnaires. The study found that early pregnancy and school dropout among adolescent girls in Arkansas is related. Teen pregnancy compromises young girls’ development opportunities. Drop out of school hinders their formal education, resulting in employment and productive disadvantages while making them vulnerable to poverty, violence, crime and social exclusion. Teen pregnancy and early motherhood represent a cost of opportunity for women, given the lack of adequate conditions, poor understanding and inadequate approach to the problem, resulting in the interruption of formal education or definite dropout by adolescent girls. The study recommended that strategies to prevent adolescent pregnancy be developed, such as community programs to improve social development, responsible sexual behavior education, and enhanced contraceptive counseling and delivery. The study also recommended that programs be tailored differently for girls who have dropped out of school, those in school and at risk for pregnancy, and those who are in school and become pregnant. The research suggests that there is a need to continue improving programmes to decrease teenage pregnancy and a need to try and increase the number of teenage mothers who go back to school to finish their education. Keywords: Early Pregnancy, School Dropout, Adolescent Girls, Arkansas, USA

Analysis on the vulnerabilities of middle school students in Mehedinți county

Abstract. This research is part of the “Sustainable social and educational integration through sports activities” project, which aims to increase the school attendance rate and the transit rate to ISCED level 3. Mehedinți county presents a lot of vulnerabilities for middle school students. The purpose of the current study is to emphasise the structure of vulnerabilities for the middle school population from this Romanian county. The identified vulnerabilities were structured in eight categories, namely: Roma students, students with one or both parents working abroad, remigrated students, students from disorganised or single-parent families, students raised in foster care, students who are children of immigrants or refugees in Romania, students with a degree of disability and students at risk of early school dropout. This applied research was conducted over a period of 2 years. The participants are 170 students (93 boys and 77 girls) from two schools in rural areas, who have a moderate ISCED level. The methods used in this study are: literature review, survey, mathematical and statistical method, graphical method. The research results identify the structure of vulnerabilities affecting the middle school population in Mehedinți county. The research provides a deep insight into the social challenges faced by the lower secondary population in rural areas.

Big data analysis by using one covariate at a time multiple testing (OCMT) method: Early school dropout in Iraq

The early school dropout is very significant portents that controls the future of societies and determine the nature of its elements. Therefore, studying this phenomenon and find explanations of it is a necessary matter, by finding or developing appropriate models to predict it in the future. The variables that affect the early school dropout Iraq takes a large size and multiple sources and types due the political and economic situation , which attributes it as a sort of Big Data that must be explored by using new statistical approaches. The research aims at using one Covariate at a Time Multiple Testing OCMT Method to analyze the data from surveys collected by the Central Statistical Organization IRAQ, which contains many indicators related to school dropout and meaningfully affect the life of the Iraqi persons. The Ridge Regression Method as well as the OCMT method were chosen to analyze data and the Mean Square Errors MSE was used to compare the two methods and From the results we find that OCMT estimator is better than Ridge estimator with Big Data conditions.

Psychotropic Medication Adherence in Children and Adolescents.

Researchers believe that almost 20% of children and adolescents struggle with chronic and persistent mental health concerns. Mental health is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Youth can struggle with several impairing mental health disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and autism spectrum disorder. Inadequately treated chronic mental illnesses can adversely affect the growing brain profoundly, including academic decline, early school dropout, cognitive deficits, interpersonal relationship concerns, aggression, suicide attempts or completion, substance use disorders, frequent hospital admissions, and inability to maintain employment. Even if diagnosed early in their course of illness, many of these individuals struggle to continue medications as prescribed. The factors predicting adherence to medications are underresearched in children and adolescents. Psychotropic medication compliance is a complicated issue that is tied to various aspects of caring for a minor individual. Hence, it is relevant to discuss factors that are predicted to contribute to noncompliance in this age group. The purpose of this review is to carefully consider the gaps in knowledge, suggesting interventions by using established instruments and clinical strategies to resolve the identified barriers for improving medication adherence. Compliance should be targeted at various levels, including the entire family tree and the treatment team.

School trajectory disruption among adolescents living with perinatal HIV receiving antiretroviral treatments: a case-control study in Thailand

BackgroundAdolescents living with perinatal HIV often experience difficult living circumstances that can impact educational achievement and thus their transition to adult life. We explored their school trajectories and evaluated the contribution of perinatal HIV-infection, in Thailand, where education is free and compulsory until the age of 15.MethodsWe used data from the Teens Living with Antiretrovirals (TEEWA) study, a cross-sectional case-control study conducted from 2011 to 2014 in Thailand. Participants were 707 adolescents living with perinatal HIV (ALPHIV, cases) aged 12–19 receiving antiretroviral therapy in 19 hospitals throughout Thailand and 689 HIV-uninfected adolescents (controls) living in the same institutions or, for those living in family settings, randomly selected from the general population and individually matched for sex, age, and place of residence. School trajectory disruption was defined as ≥1 year of academic delay or as early school dropout (before 15 years of age). Logistic regression models were used to assess factors independently associated with disrupted school trajectory and to estimate the proportion of school disruption attributable to HIV-infection. We used multivariate imputations by chained equations (MICE) to manage missing data and performed two sensitivity analyses to evaluate the main model’s reliability.ResultsThe study population’s median age was 14.5 years (58% female). School trajectory disruption was experienced by 37% of ALPHIV and 12% of the controls. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, ALPHIV were 5 times more likely to experience disruption than controls (ORA =5.2 [3.7–7.2]). About 50% of school trajectory disruption was attributable to HIV-infection. Males and adolescents living in institutions were more likely to experience school trajectory disruption (ORA =1.8 [1.3–2.4] and ORA =11.0 [7.7–15.8], respectively). Among ALPHIV, neurocognitive difficulties and growth delay were significantly associated with disruption (ORA =3.3 [2.1–5.2] and ORA =1.8 [1.3–2.6], respectively). For those living in families, disruption was also associated with having a caregiver who had less than a secondary-level education (ORA =2.1 [1.1–3.9]) or having experienced stigmatization (ORA =1.9 [1.2–3.1]).ConclusionsHIV and contextual factors combine to aggravate the educational disadvantage among ALPHIV. The impact of this disadvantage on their life prospects, especially regarding access to higher education and professional achievement, should be further explored.

Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Score as a Predictor of Early School Dropout: Results From a Longitudinal Study in 24,988 Dutch Children

Background: Early school dropout is an economic, social, and individual problem. In the Netherlands, Youth Health Care (YHC) service is engaged in child’s development and collects data on psychosocial health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)). This study aimed at (1) assessing whether SDQ scores at 10 and 14 years old are predictive of school dropout (2) developing a school dropout prediction model using relevant child and family factors available to YHC professionals at regular consultations. Methods: YHC data from 24,988 children born 1996-2001 were linked to child, family and school characteristics. Early school dropout was defined as having left the school without diploma by the age of 17. Two multilevel logistic regression models were built with predictors measured at the ages of 10 and 14. Models’ performance was assessed using ROC curve. Findings: Child’s SDQ, gender, and parents’ socio-economic status were predictors of early school dropout. A strong interaction was present between SDQ and the three levels of the secondary education track. Prediction model for age 10 and age 14 (lowest level track) showed moderate prediction performance (ROC value 0.70/0.69, respectively). Prediction quality for children from higher level secondary education tracks was poor. Interpretation: School dropout can be to some extent anticipated as early as age of 10. The proposed prediction models can contribute to early risk stratification where window of opportunity exists for interventions aimed to strengthen ties with school. Information on mental health diagnoses and academic performance should be considered in future research to improve prediction accuracy. Funding Statement: The study was funded by Limburg Province subsidy as part of the ‘4Limburg project’ (https://www.4-limburg.nl/over-4limburg). Declaration of Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by medical ethical committee of Maastricht Academic Hospital and Maastricht University (METC azM/UM 2020-1573).

The repercussion of severe mental disorder at school: early school dropout (Las repercusiones del trastorno mental grave en la escuela: abandono escolar temprano)

ABSTRACT This article shows the data obtained in the research conducted by a model ex-post-facto. We have constructed a questionnaire ad hoc in which we analyse the relationship between Severe Mental Disorder (SMD) and early school dropout. We select those 67 graduates, from a day care hospital specialized in severe mental disorder, who have a disengagement with the centre of at least five years. The ages of the participants are between 18 and 24 years old. With the instruments applied and the obtaining of an internal consistency of .826, we chose to interpret the relationship between variables with Fisher’s exact test. Obtaining p = .026 < .05, we can say that there is a statistical relationship between SMD and early school dropout. We have also been able to observe how obtaining compulsory secondary education is fundamental so that the individual continues structuring their academic life and access to the working world.

Somato-Functional Profile of Children at Risk of Educational and Social Exclusion in Western Romania

This paper aims to identify the somatic and functional profile of middle-school students from three areas of Romania (South-West, West and North-West). A group of 364 students (173 girls and 191 boys) aged between 10 and 16 years (12.75 ± 1.2) from 6 different schools in Mehedinti, Caras-Severin and Bistrita-Nasaud counties took part in this study. The target group category includes Roma ethnic students, students from disorganised families and students at high risk of early school dropout, from both urban and rural areas. The calculated statistical indicators were: arithmetic mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and Pearson coefficient. The anthropometric measurements made to identify the somatic and functional profile of students were height, weight, BMI, arm span and Ruffier test. The results show an upward trend in the height of boys aged between 10 (1.44 m) and 16 years (1.67 m), the maximum value recorded for girls aged 14 years being 1.59 m. The highest value of body weight was identified in boys aged 15 years (58.91 kg) and girls aged 14 years (52.63 kg). The highest value for arm span was found for 15-years-old boys (167 cm) and 14-years-old girls (158.83 cm). BMI values for both boys and girls were between 17.22 and 21.52 points. In Ruffier test, the scores obtained by students ranged between 9.95 and 13.4. This research is part of the “Sustainable social and education integration through sport activities” project (PNP001).

ANALYSIS ON THE VULNERABILITY OF THE MIDDLE-SCHOOL POPULATION IN VASLUI COUNTY

The present research is part of the project called “Sustainable social and educational integration through sports activities”, which is focused on increasing both the school attendance rate for students in lower secondary education and the ISCED 3 transit rate. Vaslui county has a wide range of vulnerabilities affecting this segment of the school population. Our study aims to highlight the structure of these vulnerabilities, which are divided into 8 categories as follows: Roma students, students with one or both parents working abroad, re-migrating students, students from disorganised or single-parent families, students from child protection institutions, students whose parents are immigrants/refugees in Romania, students with special educational needs, students at risk of early school dropout. This applied research was carried out over a period of 3 months. The participating subjects are students enrolled in two middle schools that have an ISCED below 50%; their total number is 190, of whom 105 boys and 85 girls. The research methods used are: scientific documentation, survey, mathematical and statistical method, graphical method. The results of the research are reflected in the identification of vulnerability structures for students in lower secondary education from Vaslui county. The research actually makes an X-ray of the social problems faced by middle-school students in rural areas.

Primary Education Truancy and School Performance in Social Exclusion Settings: The Case of Students in Cañada Real Galiana

Academic studies show that one of the main predictors of early school dropout at secondary education is student truancy behaviour, usually beginning at primary education. This is a problem that gets worse in socially vulnerable environments. This study analyses the prevalence and types of truancy in a population of students with high social risk in Madrid city, studying the relationship between truancy and their school performance. A questionnaire was answered by mentor teachers of students at the preschool and primary stages (N = 120), who reported information from a total of 433 students from 12 different schools. Results showed a high level of prevalence in the different types of truancy (Active and Passive). Among these behaviours, 46.86% of students skipped entire days without a valid excuse and 42.51% did not usually do their homework. Overall, 60% showed underachievement and great rates of curricular gap. In 6th grade, the last year of primary school, 74.42% of students had repeated one grade and 27.91% more than one. Moreover, significant correlations were found between truancy and school performance. The detection and early action against truancy in primary education with this type of student will reduce early dropouts and make school a key actor for the development of these students.

Vanilla bisquits and lobola bridewealth: parallel discourses on early pregnancy and schooling in rural Zambia

BackgroundAdolescent pregnancy is a complex socio-economic phenomenon ranking high on the global health policy agenda. Early childbearing is associated with early marriage and school drop-out, and is defined as a problem to the health and development of girls. This paper reports from formative research. The formative research aimed to explore socio-cultural and structural dynamics at work behind early pregnancy and school drop out in rural Zambia. The study findings have been used to inform a school based intervention to reduce early pregnancy (RISE: ‘Research Initiative to Support the Empowerment of Girls’). Theoretically the study is informed by social constructionism.MethodsA qualitative approach was employed. Semi-structured qualitative interviews (61) and focus group discussions (7) were carried out with girls (in and out of school), boys, parents, teachers, health workers and community- and district leaders in 2014–15. Systematic text condensation was drawn upon in the analysis of the material.ResultsThe study findings indicate that the official Zambian discourse that presents early pregnancy as a serious challenge and schooling as the prime way to confront the problem enjoy substantial support at community levels. However, a parallel discourse on fertility, early marriage and childbearing as social and economic security surfaced and was articulated by the same study participants. The latter contrasting discourse questioned schooling as the only solution to secure a girl’s future arguing that there are many reasons why early pregnancy may emerge as rational.ConclusionsGrasping the complexity of local discourse is vital in planning health interventions. The present study revealed that although delayed child bearing and schooling among girls enjoyed high status and legitimacy in the study area, the social and economic context worked to reward early marriage. Interventions to reduce early pregnancies in rural Zambian communities need to fundamentally address the material constraints that condition and reinforce a culture of early childbearing.