Social Factors Influencing Dropout Rates in Senior Secondary Schools in Adamawa State

This study investigates the social factors influencing dropout rates in senior secondary schools in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria. Secondary school dropout is a critical education challenge in Nigeria's North East, where years of conflict, displacement, and socioeconomic disruption have eroded schooling continuity for many adolescents. Adamawa State, while comparatively more stable than Borno and Yobe, continues to experience elevated dropout rates linked to a complex web of social determinants. A mixed-method design was employed, combining a survey of 250 current students and 100 dropout cases identified through community-based tracking, with focus group discussions in Yola, Numan, and Mubi senatorial zones. Social factors assessed include family structure, peer influence, early marriage, child labour, and community attitudes toward secondary education. Dropout predictors were modelled using logistic regression, while qualitative themes were analysed thematically. Results reveal that family economic pressure, peer dropout contagion, and early marriage are the three strongest social predictors of secondary school dropout in Adamawa State. Students from single-parent households showed markedly higher dropout risk. The study concludes that dropout in Adamawa State is a socially embedded phenomenon requiring multi-dimensional intervention. It recommends that the state education ministry establish a coordinated dropout prevention system involving social welfare officers, school counsellors, and community leaders to identify and support at-risk students before withdrawal occurs.

Keywords: school dropout, social factors, senior secondary school, Adamawa State, dropout prevention.