School dropout in public fundamental II schools of the Baco-Djicoroni Educational Animation Center in Bamako

Abstract

In Mali, the completion rate for basic II was estimated at 35%. While the official texts set the repetition rate at 10%, the statistics from the indicator analysis report show that in Mali, the repetition rate has evolved to 26.33% in fundamental II. The Bamako district has two Academies including the Bamako Rive Droite Teaching Academy which has 7 Educational Animation Centers, including Baco-Djicoroni. This structure recorded repetition and exclusion rates of 33.50% and 13% (2016-2017); 43.00% and 19% (2017-2018) and finally 55.50% and 18.00% (2018-2019) of 9th-grade students in public schools. This observation sparked a study in us to understand the phenomenon. The objective of this article is to identify and analyze the factors of school dropout and to propose solutions to reduce the phenomenon. To conduct the study, we opted for two approaches: the quantitative approach to explain and put the facts into perspective and the qualitative approach which made it possible to deepen and clarify the results. The purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data. It appeared that school dropout at the CAP of Baco-Djicoroni is linked to the school environment: institutions, financing, student/textbook ratio, training, and teacher monitoring. Factors linked to the family: the profession of the parents, the size of the family, the supervision strategies, the extracurricular occupation of the learners and the level of education of the mother which proved to be more determining. Fruitful cooperation between school stakeholders and partners through periodic meetings, and the participation of civil society in school life will help improve student performance and significantly reduce wastage in these schools.