Socioeconomic determinants of primary school children dropout: a case study of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazim Ali ◽  
Muhammad Rizwan Yaseen ◽  
Muhammad Sohail Amjad Makhdum ◽  
Abdul Quddoos ◽  
Azeem Sardar
Keyword(s):  
Child Labor ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Probit Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Socioeconomic Determinants ◽  
Family Head ◽  
Development Goals

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to identify the socioeconomic determinants of dropout from primary schools and to give policy suggestions to address the issue.Design/methodology/approachA total of 600 dropout and enrolled respondents were selected from 60 government primary schools of district Chiniot. School heads and parents of dropout children were taken as samples. The results were obtained by employing the Probit regression model.FindingsNumbers of family members, age of the family head, exchange marriage and poverty status have positive relationship with dropout from primary schools. The findings revealed a higher rate of dropout among girls, which is a major cause of concern.Practical implicationsEducation is regarded as a basic human right and a valuable human capital. It is included in Millennium Development Goals to achieve universal primary education and in Sustainable Development Goals as quality education. Underdeveloped countries are facing the problems of high dropout and lack of quality education, especially in Pakistan. These problems need to be addressed to keep pace with developed nations and to meet development goals.Originality/valueIt is recommended that government should create employment opportunities, family planning programs, legislature measures on exchange marriage and child labor. The involvement in co-curricular activities in learning and usage of audio-visual aids in the teaching process can improve the enrollment in the primary schools.

scholarly journals Role of Teachers’ towards Primary School Children with Exceptional Orientation towards Quality Education based on Statistical Measures using ANOVA Tool

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 824-831
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Quality Teachers ◽  
Statistical Measures ◽  
The Status ◽  
Education In India ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Right

The paper presents the current scenario of education in India and as examined the rural areas of Patna district area becoming nastiest in spite of initiatives taken and expenses made by the government in this regard. This paper used some statistical measures to evaluate the purpose of the right to education, which is not mere providing education but to provide the right to receive an education of good quality to every child. A quality education is maintained by three key columns viz. providing quality teachers, providing quality resources and by providing secure and compassionate atmosphere. Some suggestive measures have been given through this paper which will help in improving the status of education especially in primary schools in our country

Decentralized decision making and educational outcomes in public schools

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1625-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bushra Rahim
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
School Autonomy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Devolution of fiscal and administrative autonomy to public schools is a global phenomenon now. Various models of school autonomy have been adopted both in developing and developed countries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of devolution of fiscal autonomy to public primary schools through Parent–Teacher Councils (PTCs) on retention of primary school children in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Two sources of data were used to analyze the research question: Education Management Information System for the years 2006–2011 and 2007–2012, and a specially designed survey questionnaire used to compile information about PTCs from 222 public primary schools in the KP Province. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine whether PTC reforms are related to retention rates. An education production function approach was used to examine the effect of “inputs” (PTC reform) on “outputs” (retention). Findings The regression results indicate that reforms in procedural mechanisms to spend PTC budget and schools with separate classrooms for each grade level are significant in improving retention to the last grade of primary. The results also indicate that retention in all-girls’ schools tend to be significantly lower compared to all-boys’ schools. Research limitations/implications First, the integration of data sets resulted in a small sample size, 361 schools, out of which the researcher could visit only 222 schools (10 schools per district) due to time and financial constraints. There may be a probability that with a larger sample size the author findings may look slightly different. However, this is the only current data set collected by the researcher in KP, Pakistan. Second, an ideal way of calculating retention is to track each and every child enrolled in a school over a period of five years and to calculate retention at the end of Grade 5 called true cohort model. However, due to unavailability of such kind of data, a more commonly used method, called reconstructed cohort method, is employed. In this method, data on enrollment by grade are used for six consecutive years, with an assumption that the student flow rates will remain unchanged over time and across grades. Practical implications The findings of this study provide vital policy input to the Government of Pakistan in particular and other developing countries in general. The study reveals that PTCs have critical impacts on educational outcomes, school productivity and return on public sector educational investment thus providing an impetus for further strengthening of PTC and community participation. Besides, this study offers significant implications as to how school-based management programs will lead to outcomes under resource scarcity in developing countries. Social implications The paper has implications for the role of school leadership and community participation and for how to engender community involvement in marginalized areas where communities often do not have the time, resources or confidence to participate in their schools. Besides, community participation in parent–teacher meetings means that the school budget is spent transparently and with consensus. Hence, the chances of misuse of funds are minimized to a considerable extent, a dilemma faced by many developing countries. Finally, the collection of PTC-related data regularly especially details about budget allocated, spent and, the unutilized budget may result in better record keeping, which was found lacking during the visit. Originality/value The uniqueness and originality of this paper can be gauged from the fact that no systematic study exists with regards to the impact of school autonomy on students’ retention to the last grade of primary in KP province – a poor and conflict-ridden region in a low-income country (Pakistan). Also, the data collection from primary and secondary sources was not an easy task. However, the researcher as a civil servant has to use personal contacts to collect primary and secondary data. Hence, this study is unique and first of its kind in nature. No such research has been conducted so far by any researcher, especially in KP.

scholarly journals Some Epidemiologic Aspects of Common Warts in Rural Primary School Children

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Kasim ◽  
Soliman Amer ◽  
Mohamed Mosaad ◽  
Alaa Abdel-Wahed ◽  
Hazem Allam
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Child Labor ◽  
School Children ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Common Warts ◽  
Present Cross Sectional Study

Cutaneous warts are common in children worldwide, although the prevalence figures are conflicting. There are few publications on that issue, particularly in rural Egypt. The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of warts of hands in rural primary school children and to examine some risk factors associated with warts in these children. The study examined 1833 children from 15 rural primary schools in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt, for the presence of warts. Data about sociodemographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors were collected. Prevalence of warts was estimated. Appropriate statistical analyses including multivariate logistic regression were done. The prevalence of warts of hands in the studied children was 2.3% (1.3–3.3%) with no significant sex difference. The risk of warts increased significantly in children reported swimming in Nile channels (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 5.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.9–10.6) and child labor (adjusted OR = 4.5; 95% CI = 2.3–8.8). A ninety percent risk reduction was observed in children with educated parents. The study findings demonstrated a significant increase in the risk of warts among rural children reported swimming in Nile channels and child labor. Parents’ education, on the other hand, was found to play an important role in risk reduction.

scholarly journals A Human Rights-Based Approach in Implementing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) for Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4179
Author(s):  
Doanh-Ngan-Mac Do ◽  
Linh-Khanh Hoang ◽  
Cuong-Minh Le ◽  
Trung Tran
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Child Labor ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Detailed Assessment ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Human Rights Based Approach

Seventeen sustainable development goals (SDG) by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda have been nationalized and implemented in Vietnam. One of the country’s priorities is making educational provision accessible to all of its residents, especially for marginalized groups, while enforcing their human rights. In this context, this article examines the implementation of SDG4 (quality education) in combination with the practice of human rights for ethnic minorities in Vietnam. With access to jurisprudence, this research provides a detailed assessment of the compatibility between SDG targets and the legal rights to education of ethnic minorities. Additionally, this research employs an exploratory method to investigate the four major conditions for the implementation of quality education for ethnic minorities, namely legal–political, economic, socio-cultural factors, and participation pride. We also investigate three main barriers that hinder SDG4 implementation and human rights practices, namely child labor, language, and gender inequality. The contribution of this study is necessary for establishing more informed strategies and policies towards sustainable development in education for multi-ethnic countries.

Food and nutrition education in Australian primary schools: parents' views

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gozde Aydin ◽  
Alison Booth ◽  
Claire Margerison ◽  
Anthony Worsley
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
School Children ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Food And Nutrition Education

PurposePrimary schools provide continuous, intensive contact with large numbers of children starting from a young age, thus providing an appropriate setting for the promotion of healthy eating through food and nutrition education (FNE). This qualitative study explores the views of Australian primary school parents about FNE in primary schools.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 19 parents of primary school children from Victoria participated in semi-structured interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed and underwent thematic analysis using Nvivo. A total of three themes emerged: FNE topics currently taught in primary schools, essential food skills and knowledge for primary school children and the importance of FNE.FindingsMost parents thought that FNE is as important as the core subjects of primary school. Parental support for FNE, which is delivered over a prolonged period, and expanded by hands-on content such as cooking and gardening classes was evident. Parents viewed these classes as likely to improve children's food-related knowledge and healthy eating behaviours. Parents expressed appreciation for schools' emphasis on food sustainability and its alignment with school policies and practices. Parents were keen to see more sustainability included in the curriculum.Practical implicationsThese results may have implications for curriculum developers and schools, as the findings can assist the design of food and nutrition curricula for primary schools which can empower children as well as their families to make better food-related decisions.Originality/valueAustralian parents' views of FNE in primary schools have been under examined.

International book donors and public libraries as partners in primary school literacy development in Kenya

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 392-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Mose ◽  
Russell Kaschula
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Effective Utilization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of international library materials aid in primary schools and to outline obstacles to effective utilization for maximum literacy benefits among primary school children. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered via interviews, observation, focus group discussions and document analyses. Findings Findings indicate that teachers were trained by Kenya National Library Services Kisii Branch staff on basics of library materials management before literacy materials were sent to the schools; teachers and pupils reported that development of vocabulary and better essay writing are some of the benefits of the donated materials; and culturally distanced materials and school dynamics impact negatively on the effective utilization of the donated library resources. Practical implications The authors recommend that donors work hand in hand with the Ministry of Education and other local stakeholders that it may be possible to address obstacles to proper and highly effective implementation of literacy empowerment projects. Originality/value The findings of this study are from original research and the implications must be treated as such.

scholarly journals Accelerating Progress Towards Eradicating Child Labor (SDG8.7) with Quality Education (SDG4): School Quality is Linked to Reduced Child Cocoa Labor in Côte D'Ivoire

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasodhara Bhattacharya ◽  
Fabrice Tanoh ◽  
Shamina Shaheen ◽  
Kaja Jasinska
Keyword(s):  
Child Labor ◽  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
School Quality ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Relationship Education ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Côte D'ivoire

Child labor disrupts education, but there is scant research on the reciprocal relationship: education disrupting child labor. We examined the link between school quality and child cocoa agricultural labor in a sample of 2168 fifth-grade children from forty-one primary-schools in rural Côte d’Ivoire. Children attending a higher quality school were less likely to work on a cocoa plantation. Specifically, quality infrastructure and teaching materials were associated with reduced cocoa labor, but not with domestic and economic work. Against the backdrop of a global focus on improving education quality, and 2021 being the International Year of Elimination of Child Labor, we suggest that investments in quality education may serve the dual purpose of reducing child labor alongside improving children’s learning outcomes.

Excess body weight and abdominal obesity in relation to selected psychosocial characteristics in primary school children

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-750
Author(s):  
Ioannis Vassiloudis ◽  
Vassiliki Costarelli
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Abdominal Obesity ◽  
School Children ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Excess Body Weight ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Psychosocial Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Anxiety Levels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate excess body weight and abdominal obesity in relation to selected psychosocial characteristics such as self-perception, self-esteem and anxiety, in primary school children. Design/methodology/approach A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 528 students 10-12 years of age, randomly selected, from the area of Athens, Greece. The Greek versions of the self-perception profile for children (SPPC) and the state-trait anxiety inventory for children (STAI-C) questionnaires have been used to determine the children’s self-perception/self-esteem and the status of anxiety, respectively. Standard anthropometric measurements were also taken. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test for possible linear correlations between data variables. One-way ANOVA and independent t-test were used to determine statistically significant differences between the means of children’s body mass index (BMI) – abdominal obesity groups. For multiple comparisons, Bonferroni post-tests were run. Findings Overweight and obese children and children with abdominal obesity had lower scores in all of the domains of SPPC self-perception, the SPPC global self-esteem and the STAI-C anxiety levels in comparison to normal weight children. BMI and abdominal obesity correlated negatively with each one of the five domains of the SPPC self-perception (p < 0.001) and the SPPC global self-esteem (p < 0.001) and positively with the STAI-C anxiety levels (p < 0.005). One-way ANOVA and independent t-test revealed statistically significant differences between the means of children’s BMI and abdominal obesity groups in all the domains of SPPC self-perception (p < 0.001), the SPPC global self-esteem (p < 0.001) and the STAI-C anxiety levels (p < 0.005). There were no gender differences in the psychometric characteristics assessed in this study. Originality/value Primary school children with excess body weight and abdominal obesity have increased anxiety levels and they score lower in key psychosocial characteristics, in comparison to normal weight children.

scholarly journals Explaining the informal economy in Western Europe: beyond a rational economic actor perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Williams ◽  
Gamze Oz-Yalaman
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Alternative Theory ◽  
Probit Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Economic Actor ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe dominant theorisation of the informal economy views participants as rational economic actors operating in the informal economy when the expected benefits exceed the perceived costs of being caught and punished. Recently, an alternative theory has emerged which views participants as social actors operating in the informal economy due to their lack of vertical trust (in governments) and horizontal trust (in others). The aim of this paper is to evaluate these competing theorisations.Design/methodology/approachTo do so, data are reported from special Eurobarometer surveys conducted in 2007, 2013 and 2019 in eight West European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom).FindingsUsing probit regression analysis, the finding is that increasing the expected likelihood of being caught and level of punishment had a weak significant impact on the likelihood of participating in the informal economy in 2007, and there was no significant impact in 2013 and 2019. However, greater vertical and horizontal trust is significantly associated with a lower level of participation in the informal economy in all three time periods.Practical implicationsThe outcome is a call for a policy to shift away from increasing the expected level of punishment and likelihood of being caught, and towards improving vertical and horizontal trust. How this can be achieved is explored.Originality/valueEvidence is provided in a Western European context to support a shift away from a rational economic actor to a social actor approach when explaining and tackling the informal economy.

scholarly journals Association between the school physical activity environment, measured and self-reported student physical activity and active transport behaviours in Victoria, Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Crooks ◽  
Laura Alston ◽  
Melanie Nichols ◽  
Kristy A. Bolton ◽  
Steven Allender ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Active Transport ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Physical Activity Environment ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Socioeconomic Composition

Abstract Background Environments within schools including the physical, social-cultural and policy/practice environments have the potential to influence children’s physical activity (PA) behaviours and weight status. This Australian first study comprehensively examined the association(s) of physical, social-cultural and policy/practice environments with PA, active transport (AT) and weight status among regional primary school children. Methods Data were from two childhood obesity monitoring systems in regional Victoria, Australia. Measured height and weight were collected from students in Year 2 (aged approx. 7–8 years), Year 4 (9–10 years), and Year 6 (11–12 years). Self–reported PA behaviour, including AT were collected from students in Year 4 and 6 and a sub-sample wore an ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) accelerometer for 7-days. A school physical activity environment audit was completed by the school principal and responses were used to calculate school physical activity environment scores (PAES) and active transport environment scores (ATES). Mixed effects logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the proportion of students meeting the PA guidelines (≥60mins/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA) and PAES tertiles (low, medium, high) and those using AT and school ATES tertiles, controlling for gender, school size/type and socioeconomic composition. Results The analysed sample included 54/146 (37%) schools and 3360/5376 (64%) students. In stratified analysis, girls in schools with a medium PAES score were more likely to meet the objectively measured PA guideline compared to low PAES score (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.27, 4.16). Similarly, students in schools with a medium or high ATES score had higher odds of self-reported AT (medium OR 3.15, 95%CI 1.67, 5.94; high OR 3.71, 95%CI: 1.80, 7.64). No association between PAES or ATES and weight status were observed. Self-reported AT among boys (OR 1.59, 95%CI 1.19, 2.13) and girls (OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.08, 2.27) was associated with higher odds of meeting self-reported PA guidelines on all 7-days than those who did not report using AT. Conclusions In this study of regional Victorian primary schools, PA environments were only associated with girls’ adherence to PA guidelines. School AT environments were strongly associated with students’ AT behaviours and with increased likelihood of students being physically active.

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