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131 drop out of public schools last school year
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Posted on May 03 2009
A total of 131 students left public schools last school year in the middle of class semesters, based on Public School System records.
Of that number, most were from high school, numbering a total of 114 students. Dropout from middle schools totaled 29.
Saipan Tribune learned that there was a total of 3,159 students enrolled in public high schools in school year 2007-2008. With 114 dropouts, this translates to 3.61 percent of the population.
From seventh to eight grades, PSS recorded a total enrollment of 1,182 last school year. With 29 leaving school before classes ended, this accounts for 2.45 percent of middle school students dropping out.
Dropouts are those students who exited their school for various reasons and have not returned the following year.
PSS data indicated that students in high schools have a higher percentage of dropouts based on student enrollment, compared to junior high school students.
A significant dropout rate was also evident in PSS’ Advance Development Institute, which was suspended early this year due to budget constraint and consistently low graduation turnout.
In SY 2007-2008, PSS reported that there were only 14 graduates of this program.
Saipan Tribune learned that during the semester term of August 2007 to October 2007, PSS recorded a total ADI enrollment of 100. Of the figure, 54 were female while 46 were males.
Twenty of these “students” were employed with private and government offices while a big bulk—80—were unemployed.
The same PSS records showed that the reasons given for dropping out of school included attendance problems, lack of motivation, needing money for the family, family matters, pregnancy, and wrong peers.
Among these reasons, the attendance problem and the wrong choice of friends as well as teen pregnancy ranked the highest. Thirteen of these dropouts were due to pregnancies; 13 students were influenced by wrong friends; and 13 say they needed to work so they could earn money for the family.
