SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG ADOLESCENTS - SCHOOL SATISFACTION AND SELF-EFFICACY

Abstract

Dropping out of school is a topical phenomenon, being
considered not only an act of dropping out of formal education,
but also a risky behavior with multiple negative implications on
the psychological, social and economic development of
adolescents. Adolescence is a period of transition, characterized
by a series of biological, cognitive, emotional and social
changes. During this period, young people face a number of
challenges and the decisions they make can have a long-term
impact on the quality of their lives. Dropping out of school is thus
a significant threat to adolescents' well-being, both now and in
the future. School drop-out has a high incidence in many
societies and is an important indicator of the educational health
of a country. It affects not only the individual but also the
community, contributing to a cycle of poverty and social
exclusion. When students drop out of high school, this usually
has a negative impact both on their personal development and
on society, as they are exposed to an increased risk of
unemployment, health problems and social integration
difficulties. The aim of this article is to present the causes of
school drop-out among adolescents and to present statistically
the drop-out rates in different regions/schools, especially in
Romania. The average of the 27 EU countries has a 78.5%
school enrolment rate according to 2008 data, while our country
has a 78.3% share, respectively the early school leaving rate is
14.9% in the EU and 15.9% in Romania. As a result of the
analysis we can state that there is a strong link between the
variables participation in education and the early school leaving
rate, and a perfect link between the educational attainment and
the unemployment rate. In Romania school dropout rates
continue to rise, ranking first in the European Union in this
respect. Thus, as the Social Monitor shows, in 2022 the dropout
rate at the country level was 15.6% while the average at the
European Union level was 10% and has continued to decrease
in recent years.