The Magnitude of the Problem
The drop-out rate at the secondary-school level was very high throughout the period that we examined. Only about 35 % of the pupils (male and female) who finished a minority primary school in the school year 1996-97 managed to graduate from secondary school (with or without a delay).
The drop-out problem was more severe among the girls. A large portion of minority girls did not even register for secondary school. Only about one in five girls (22.2 %) who graduated from a minority primary school in 1996-97 managed to complete the 3 years of secondary education, whereas 7 out of 10 girls dropped out of school at the end of their primary education and did not go to a secondary school.
The tables below show secondary school attendance / graduation of minority pupils by gender, in two prefectures combined.
(I.e., How many of the pupils who, after finishing a minority primary school in the school year 1996-97, registered for secondary school and graduated by 2002-2003?)
|
Α) Pupils who complete minority primary schools in the school year 1996-97 |
|||
|
Boys |
Girls |
Total |
|
|
Sixth-Grade Pupils in 1996-97 |
633 |
580 |
1213 |
|
(Of whom) Those who register for the Seventh Grade (first grade of the secondary school) 1997-98 |
617 |
338 |
955 |
|
(Of whom) Those who attend Seventh Grade 1997-98 |
472 |
177 |
649 |
|
Those who graduated in 2002-03 |
292 |
129 |
421 |
How many of the pupils who, after finishing a minority primary school in the school year 2000-01, registered for secondary school and attended the classes at the time this research was being conducted?
|
(Β) Pupils who complete minority primary schools in the school year 2000-01 |
|||
|
Boys |
Girls |
Total |
|
|
Sixth-Grade Pupils in 2000-01 |
530 |
520 |
1050 |
|
Those who register for the Seventh Grade (first grade of the secondary school) 2001-02 |
659 |
449 |
1108 |
|
Those who attend Seventh Grade 2001-02 |
503 94,9% |
319 61,3% |
822 78,3% |
The percentages have been calculated based on the number of sixth-grade pupils in minority primary schools
A Positive Prospect
The situation is improving at a fast rate. Within only five years, from 1997 to 2002, an impressive increase took place in the number of minority children that go to secondary school. (The drop-out rate for girls fell by 50%.) Moreover, there was a small but significant improvement in minority pupils' performance in classes. The speed of these changes is, by itself, an important sociological finding.
