The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
IST-DSC-05e

Bibliographic reference :
Reference Statistique Canada (2002). In and Out of High School: First Results from the Second Cycle of the Youth in Transition Survey, 2002. [On line].
<http://www.statcan.ca/start_f.html>

Abstract :

Statistics Canada is a federal organization producing objective statistics on the Canadian population and its resources, economy and culture. The document entitled In and Out of High School: First Results from the Second Cycle of the Youth in Transition Survey, 2002 describes the high school dropout problem in Canada with reference to factors not only tied to school leaving, but also to returning to school after dropping out.

First, the data from the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) was used to paint a national picture of the dropout problem. The survey revealed that the province of Quebec had the highest dropout rate among 17-year-old students in Canada with a dropout rate of 5%, compared to a 3% national average. It should be emphasized that these low rates reflect the trend toward a reduced dropout rate that began in the 1990s.

As far as the causes of dropping out are concerned, the main reasons given by male students for leaving school were related to school (lack of interest, academic problems). As for female students, they generally tended to drop out for personal or family reasons.

The dropout process, however, begins years before students officially leave school. Variables such as poor reading skills at 15 and lack of importance attached by parents on completing high school are examples of risk factors associated with school dropout.

Also according to the YITS data, among a cohort of students aged 18 to 20 who dropped out in 1999, 8% went back to school to earn a diploma and 6% were high school students in 2001.

One characteristic feature of dropouts who return to school is their higher educational aspirations. Dropouts whose parents had a postsecondary diploma were also more likely to return to school.

Given the fact that high school completion reduces the risk of being excluded from the job market and provides better opportunities in terms of lifelong learning, this report is a source of information contributing to a better understanding of the dropout process as a whole.

Links :
http://www.statcan.ca/start_f.html

Key Words :
School Dropout, Gender, Motivation, PISA, Reading Skills, Academic Performance, Longitudinal Study, Returning to School, Interprovincial Comparisons, YITS, NLSCY

Monitored Countries :
Quebec (Canada)