Understanding the Factors Behind Dropout Decisions: A Study of Primary School Students in Red Sea State, Sudan

This study employed the Pull/Push Out Theoretical Framework to investigate the in-school and out-of-school factors that influenced primary school students’ decisions to drop out in Red Sea State, Sudan. In-school factors were related to the school environment that pushed students to leave, while out-of-school factors were connected to the surrounding environment, closely linked to the student’s life outside of school, which pulled them away from education. Using a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 21 informants including dropout students, their parents, and their teachers, providing insights into the factors that either pulled or pushed students to drop out. The findings revealed that a range of in-school and out-of-school factors contributed to the high dropout rates in Red Sea State. These factors included relationships with peers, school refusal driven by negative reinforcement, student-teacher relationships, the condition of educational and extracurricular facilities, water and sanitation issues, teacher shortages, curriculum relevance, unqualified teachers, removal from classes, grade retention, and school discipline, as well as, socio-economic factors, child labor, lack of scholarships or financial aid, family disruption, family structure, single-parent, absenteeism reinforced by positive factors, parent involvement, and the education level of parents also played significant roles.