The Status and Contributing Factors for Students’ Dropout in Primary Schools of Pastoralist Areas of Sewena Woreda, Bale Zone, Oromia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status and contributing factors for students’ dropout in primary schools of pastoralist areas of Sewena Woreda, Bale Zone, Oromia. Pragmatism as a philosophical assumption was employed. The mixed research method more specifically concurrent triangulation design was used. Both probability and none probability sampling techniques were employed.13 primary schools were randomly selected specifically by using lottery method. 37 (30%) primary school teachers, and 36(30%) dropout returnee students were selected by proportionated simple random sampling technique and Kebele Education Training Board (KETB) members two from each primary schools were purposively selected for the study. 13 primary school principals, ten CRC supervisors and six educational experts were chosen using availability sampling technique. Questionnaires were distributed for 102(teachers, principals, Cluster resource Center (CRC) Supervisors, educational experts and dropouts’ returee students). Interviews were also conduct with 26 purposively selected KETB members. Questionnaires, interview, and document analysis were used as data collection tools; thereby validity and reliability were used to test the quality of instruments. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques were employed. Descriptive statistics like frequency distribution, percentage, mean and standard deviation; inferential statistics ANOVA were used. The research findings concluded that there were six major factors contributing for students’ dropout in the target area. These are social factors, economic factors; school related factors; student related factors; climatic factors and political factors were identified as major and significant dropout factors.The study recommended with emphasis that the government as well as educational stakeholders should design the ways of improving the lives of pastoralists in contacting with different valuable NGOs. In addition, the Government should decide the exact and specific regional boundaries so as to solve the border conflict that brought community migration and displacement being the cause of students’ dropout in both Somalia Regional State and Oromia Regional State. Keywords: Factors, Dropout, Pastoralists, Primary School, Status, DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-34-07 Publication date: December 31st 201