High drop-out rates in lower and upper secondary school levels

Context

In Lebanon, drop-out rates in lower and upper secondary school levels (grade 7 to 9 and grade 10 to 12) are high. Studies have shown that 10% of Lebanese primary school children drop out of school by lower secondary level. The number is much more significant for non-Lebanese children with a drop-out rate of 66% for refugees aged 12 to 15. In addition, the out of school rate is highest among secondary school refugee children aged 16 to 18 with total secondary enrollment at around 1.4%.

The low quality education in public schools and high tuition rates in private schools is one of the main reasons most low-income households prioritize work and marriage over education. Moreover, delayed and underachieving children who live in unsupportive home and school environments often lose their motivation to continue their education and drop-out of school at an early age.

Additionally, refugee children dealing with psychological distresses due to their experience with war, displacement and poverty do not give value to education. Indeed, nearly 60% of refugee working children interviewed in 2014 indicated that the choice to work was their own and that their desire to support their families was more compelling than attending school.

Source: https://www.unhcr.org/FutureOfSyria/index.html; BLOMINVEST BANK Report (2016-2017). The Education Landscape in Lebanon; American Task Force for Lebanon (2019).Challenges in Lebanon’s Education Sector Detailed in World Bank Report; El-Ghali, H. A., Alameddine, F., Farah, S., & Benchiba, S. (2019). Pathways to and Beyond Education for Refugee Youth in Jordan and Lebanon.;

Examples of Behavioral Biases and Bottlenecks

Social proof: Students are less likely to continue their secondary education if other students around them are dropping out.

ٍSocial norms: If the norm within a community is to prioritize work and marriage over children’s education, then children in that community are more likely to drop out of school at an early age.

Confirmation bias: Students might believe they are not capable of achieving good academic performance, hence they act and interpret information in a way that confirms that belief.