High School Leavers of Sto.

Tomas National High Shool

In the K to 12 Program

INTRODUCTION

I. Background and Rationale of the Study

Education is one of the cornerstones of development, particularly in a country where majority

of the population is of school age. In a country like the Philippines that is still struggling to make

education a universal right, undeniably, keeping the children or teenagers inside the classrooms

still remains a problem unresolved. despite state-funded efforts to improve the quality of

education, the government is still grappling with a high dropout rate. Available figures from the

Department of Education (DepEd) show that there has been no significant movement in dropout

rates among elementary and high school students in the last five years. Dropout rates in both

levels have been rising, albeit slowly, since 2007.

According to the Department of Education Research and Statistics Division Office of Planning

Service and Department of Education Official Website Facts and Figures, from 5.99 percent in

school year 2007-2008, the dropout rate went up gradually until it reached 6.81 in school year

2012-2013. The same trend can be observed for the secondary level dropout rate, which ranged

from 7.45 percent in school year 2007-2008 to 7.82 percent in school year 2011-2012. As

reflected in the DepEd data, the elementary dropout rates for school years 2008-2009, 2009-

2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 were 6.02 percent, 6.28 percent, 6.29 percent, 6.38

percent and 6.81 percent, respectively. For high school, the dropout rates for school years 2007-

2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 were 7.45 percent, 7.45 percent, 7.95

percent, 7.79 percent, and 7.82 percent. There was no available data for school year 2012-2013.
Does this speak of improvement where facts and figures about dropout rates is concerned? Think

again.

The DepEd claimed that the figures actually reflect an improvement given a rising

enrollment rate. As Education Assistant Secretary for Planning Jesus Mateo told philstar.com in

an interview, the dropout rates are flat if youre going to round it off. He further stressed that this

is good because the enrollment rates are increasing, but the dropout rates remain the same. This

observation was echoed by Education Assistant Secretary for Programs and Projects Lorna Dino

who underscored that an increase in enrolment is a positive performance indicator because more

school-age children and youth are in school. She, nevertheless, acknowledged that a zero drop-

out rate is the most ideal target. It can be noted that any number higher than this is significant

because it still represents learners who are pushed out of the schools. As pointed out by Ronald

Paguta, chairman of the University of Santo Tomas business economics department, a minimal

change in figures could translate to hundreds or thousands of students. The six percent could

account for a big number of dropouts. If the Philippines has ten million students, that six percent

would mean 600, 000 students who dropped out of school.

DepEd figures for 2013 showed that a total of 126,368 public school students have dropped

out of school in the elementary level while 236, 222 others have discontinued their studies in the

secondary level. This data did not escape the attention of our lawmakers. Sen. Francis Escudero

said figures given by the Department of Education (DepEd) show that there has been no

significant movement in dropout rates among elementary and high school students from 2007 to

2013. He urged the government to resolve the dropout rate among elementary and high school

students after statistics shows it remained unchanged since 2007. The elementary dropout rate

has been at 6 percent level since 2008, while that of the secondary level remained within the 7
percent level since 2007. This means that for every 1,000 enrollees in primary and secondary

schools, there are about 60 to 70 students dropping out every year.

In this vein the government has intensified its campaign and developed continuous

interventions to reduce the number of high school students quitting school. National Economic

and Development Authority Director Erlinda Capones said the DepEd has implemented the

Dropout Reduction Program (DORP), which offers alternative modes of education for students at

risk of dropping out. Under the program, DepEd determines the reasons why students leave

school through interviews. DORP also allows working students and out-of-school-youth to

continue their studies through the Open High School Program, which uses specialized modules.

Other programs targeting the dropout problem are Project EASE (Effective Alternative

Secondary Education), which allows absentees to catch up on their lessons through innovative

learning tools; and Abot Alam, which aims to unite the out-of-school youth with their

communities.
On one hand Capones claimed that the K to 12 program, which has been criticized for

supposedly posing additional burden to parents, could also address the dropouts. The K to 12

program makes it a requirement to enroll children in kindergarten before they can start six years

of primary education. It also added two years to the four year high school curriculum.

Proponents and advocates of the program stressed that the curricular reforms under the K to 12

Program also seeks to address the dropout problem because the decongested curriculum under K

to 12 will allow mastery of competencies and enable students to better cope with the lessons.

On the other hand Lawmakers as well as those who are against the immediate

implementation of the program have expressed concerns over the K to 12 program. Senators

Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes pointed out during the ethics committee hearing that
the K to 12 program could increase the dropout rate of students and that it might be better to

improve schools facilities for a more complete learning experience. Currently, 36 percent of

students drop out after elementary and only 44 percent graduate high school. Moreover,

Trillanes said that the graduation rate might decrease to 35 percent because of the addition of two

more years.

Whichever way the K to 12 program is regarded, the problem on school dropouts is still

and remains to be an issue to reckon with. Even Sto. Tomas National High School (STNHS) has

to contend with this growing concern. School records for the past 4 years show an increase in its

dropout rates. While 2012-2013 saw to 3 students dropping out from the roll and 2012-2013 with

5 dropouts, it is a cause for alarm that this doubled in 2014-2015 with 10 dropouts and increased

to 11 dropouts this 2015-2016. It is in view of the aforecited data that this study is hereby

proposed. It seeks to determine the factors that brought this increase on dropout rates at STNHS.

It aims to look into the profile of its dropouts which may have contributed to their dropping from

the roll. Likewise it seeks to assess the measures put in place at STNHS to address or minimize

its dropout rates.

II. Review of Related Literature

Amoroso,V. (2014, June). Phl dropout rates rising since 2007. philstar.com

This article dated June 12, 2014 presents two sides of the K to 12 program where the

parents are concerned vis--vis student attendance. The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012,

or K-12 education program, seeks to add two years in high school that will enable students to

learn specialized courses on business and entrepreneurship, humanities and arts, technical-
vocational courses, or academics. It was recently passed in the House of Representatives

Monday.
Amoroso pointed out how the Philippines is reportedly the only one in Asia, and one of

three nations worldwide, with 10 years of basic education. The K-12 program seeks to improve

that to comply with international standards.

While the parents were wary of the program because it would mean two additional years

of paying for their childs tuition, the government officials however see it otherwise. National

Economic and Development Authority Director Erlinda Capones claimed the K to 12 program,

which has been criticized for supposedly posing additional burden to parents, could address the

problem on dropouts. The news stressed how the program makes it a requirement to enroll

children in kindergarten before they can start six years of primary education. It also added two

years to the four year high school curriculum. Moreover it stressed how the curricular reforms

under the K to 12 Program also seeks to address the dropout problem because the decongested

curriculum under K to 12 will allow mastery of competencies and enable students to better cope

with the lessons.

Bridgeland, J. (2006, March). The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts.
A report by Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates for
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. www.civicenterprises.net

This report brings into focus the high school dropout epidemic in America. It claims that

each year, almost one third of all public high school students and nearly one half of all blacks,

Hispanics and Native Americans fail to graduate from public high school with their class.

Many of these students abandon school with less than two years to complete their high school

education. This tragic cycle has not substantially improved during the past few decades when

education reform has been high on the public agenda. During this time, the public has been
almost entirely unaware of the severity of the dropout problem due to inaccurate data. The

consequences remain tragic.

In an effort to better understand the lives and circumstances of students who drop out of high

school and to help ground the research in the stories and reflections of the former students

themselves, a series of focus groups and a survey were conducted of young people aged 16-25

who identified themselves as high school dropouts in 25 different locations throughout the

United States. These interviews took place in large cities, suburbs and small towns with high

dropout rates.
A primary purpose of this report is to approach the dropout problem from a perspective that

has not been much considered in past studies that of the students themselves. These efforts

were designed to paint a more in-depth picture of who these young people are, why they dropped

out of high school, and what might have helped them complete their high school education.

Bridgeland wanted to give their stories and insights a voice, and to offer our own views on next

steps, in the hope that this report could be a further wake-up call to educators, policymakers,

other leaders, and the public to summon the national will to address the high school dropout

epidemic.

Burrus, J. (2012). Dropping Out of High School: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Remediation

Strategies. Princeton: ETS Research and Development.

In this publication by the Educational Testing Services possibilities are explored at

identifying students at risk of dropping out of high school. This is anchored on the premise that

educational institutions must identify early on which students are likely to drop out. Seeing that

this is not only a problem for highs schools, but also for colleges and universities, this brings into

focus the results of a multiyear study to predict dropout rates. To the researchers at ETSs
Research and Development and its Center for Academic and Workforce Readiness and Success,

this study is of particular interest to everyone who advances quality and equity in education.
An authority where educational research and policy studies is concerned, Burrus is fully

aware of the desperate needs to improve high school graduation rates, a task he said is possible if

the citizens and policymakers demonstrate the will to do it. This observation is backed-up by

studies that zeroed in on the predictors of school dropouts. While some of the predictors may be

true to some educational institutions, Burrus acknowledges that this study will still be of help in

identifying the great majority of students on track to dropout.

Chirtes, G. ( 2010). A Case Study into The Causes of School Dropout. Acta Didactica

Napocensia. Volume 3, Number 4.

School dropout leads to failure in social integration, and as a result greatly diminishes a

persons chances to achieve personal success in legally accepted fields of activity. The

prevention and reduction of this phenomenon are extremely difficult to achieve due to the high

complexity of its causes. Research that has been carried out into this problem leads to the

conclusion that there has been an increase in the number of students facing school adjustment

problems and it also attempts to answer the question whether there has been a real increase in the

number of dropouts or if the situation should be put down to a series of very different and

complex factors.

Digal. S. (2009, November 5). Philippines: over 6 million young people drop out of school.
AsiaNews.IT. www.asianews.it

The online news reported that about 6 million Filipino children of school going age drop

out of school altogether. This is the data that has emerged from a study carried out by the

Department of Education in Manila. 30% of the 91 million inhabitants of the country are under
18: almost 25% of them never finish their studies. Poverty is largely to blame, but also the lack

of awareness among the population of the importance of education. This was echoed by Bishop

Ontioco of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines who said that Often problems

associated with poverty result in children dropping out of school: the poor health of a parent,

illness or physical disabilities and a lack of adequate assistance, the need to help the family

economy.
On the other hand Digal went on further to mention the initiatives of the government to

combat the phenomenon of school drop outs is a governmental plan Open High School

Program (OHSP), also called Distance Education Program. Activated in the context of the Drop

Out Reduction Program(DROP) launched in 1998, it allows students to receive basic training

even if unable to attend school. It has been claimed that since DROP began to take hold in the

country, the phenomenon in secondary schools have seen a dramatic decrease, from 12.51%

during the year 2005/2006 to 7.45% of 2007/2008.

DO 74, s. 2010 - Guidelines on Mainstreaming the Dropout Reduction Program (DORP)

in the Public Secondary Schools. www.deped.edu.ph

Aimed reducing dropout rates, this DepEd order extols the effectiveness of the Dropout

Reduction Program (DORP) in increasing participation rate and improving learning outcomes

using formal and informal approaches. This DepEd Order enjoined all school heads to

mainstream or integrate this program in the conceptualization/formulation of their school

improvement plan (SIP) in all public secondary schools. The DORP, formerly known as the

Secondary Schooling Alternatives (SSA) under the Secondary Education Development and

Improvement Project (SEDIP), is one of the holistic alternative delivery mode (ADM) offerings

of the BSE.
 Anchored on the targets of Education for All (EFA) 2015, and the Millennium

Development Goals (MDG) 2015, the DORP aims to contribute to the achievement of improved

performance indicators in basic education. The challenges posed by Project ReACH - Find

them, Reach them, Keep them and Make them Complete School inspired the implementers of

the Dropout Reduction Program (DORP) in the secondary schools to perform better. Project

ReACH through the DORP is successfully reaching the 3.4 Million youth aged 12- 15 years old.
Sec. Mona D. Valisno in this DepEd order also enjoined public secondary school heads to

avail of the Handbook of the Best Practices gathered from the successful DORP implementers

for benchmarking.

Lessard, A., Kisber, L (2014). Analyzing the Discourse of Dropouts and Resilient Students. The
Journal of Educational Research. Published Online: 2013, October 24.pp. 103-110

This qualitative study on dropouts focused on high school students who were at risk of

dropping out and examined why some of these students persevered and graduated while others

ended up dropping out of school. The authors had resilient students and dropouts as participants

in the study. Results of the study indicate that although learning difficulties were shared by

participants, 4 types of abilities set the resilient students apart from dropouts: (a) inreach (using

their own resources); (b) outreach (asking for help when needed); (c) establishing and

maintaining positive relationships with teachers and friends while setting limits when necessary;

and (d) planning, making choices and following through on decisions. It was also found that

resilient students could count on lifelines, people they knew they could always rely on when they

had difficulties.
In this study the authors had given coping mechanisms or interventions by which those

who were categorized as resilient managed to stay in school and finish their studies. The results
of this study had shown what interventions can be done and work better in addressing problems

with regards to dropouts, be it potential or actual.

Nava. F. (2009, December). Factors in School Leaving: Variations Across Gender Groups,

School Levels and Locations. Education Quarterly, Vol. 67 (1), 62-78

Qualitative by design to address the need to validate data collected through triangulation,

this study published by the UP College of Education on its Education Quarterly Journal
examined the effect of poverty on school leaving for various gender groups, school levels and

school locations based on interview data of dropouts, parents of dropouts , teachers and school

administrators of 4 purposively selected elementary and secondary schools in urban and rural

locations. By segregating responses according to gender, school level and location of

respondents, specific factors related to school level were identified for male and female,

elementary and secondary, and urban and rural school dropouts. The study showed that

employment activities were common among older dropouts, especially the males, while domestic

duties such as caring for younger siblings were most true of females, especially those from rural

areas. Moreover, its been indicated by the researcher that low motivation was also evident

among male and younger school dropouts.

Since the scope of the study is small, the researcher recommended that knowledge about

the dropout phenomenon should be advanced by continued and more systematic studies on the

reasons for school leaving. For example, large-scale surveys should be able to confirm the

variables that have been identified by this study and other studies as predictive of dropping out

(Suh, et al., 2007). Studies that trace the progress of at-risk students should help stakeholders

understand the factors that can reverse the situation. Furthermore, its been forwarded, too, that
evaluation of dropout intervention programs have to be carefully designed and systematically

implemented.

Orbeta, A. (2012). Filipino Child Policy Briefs. Manila: PIBS Publications

The Filipino Child Policy Brief is culled from studies under the joint UNICEF-PIDS

project titled Global study on child poverty and disparities: Philippines. It highlights specific

issues on child poverty in the Philippines and draws out their implications for policy. One

specific issue singled out a glimpse at the school dropout problem. It posited that dropouts may

appear small in number but they are preponderant among the poor which thereupon turns the

wheels of intergenerational transmission of poverty against them...At the personal level,

dropping out of school will mean consigning one to a future of low-income trajectory. Given a

choice, one will obviously not opt for this.

Using data from the National Statistics Offices (NSO) Annual Poverty Indicators Survey

(APIS) of 2012, Orbeta The primary reason for dropout is lack of personal interest...It may be

due to demand-side issues such as poor information on the value of education. It may also be that

the poor are very impatient and do not see the returns to education (which may only be felt a few

years down the road) as an attractive proposition. The reason can also be a supply-side issue

where the education system is not producing relevant results for school-aged children and their

families., The author maintained, however, that only a rigorous impact evaluation can provide

the answer on whether this intuitively appealing hypothesis will be validated.

Sweeten, G. (2004). Unpublished Material: School Dropout and Subsequent Offending:

Distinguishing Selection From Causation. University of Maryland

This study identifies the effects of high school dropout on delinquent or criminal

behavior. It addresses the question: Does dropout from school have a causal impact on

offending? Although there is a long history of debate on the issue, no consensus has been
reached concerning the causal nature of this relationship. Many researchers have associated

dropout with negative outcomes, but their ability to identify dropout as causal is undermined by

methodological problems, the most important of which is the inability to account for selection

processes.
Sweetens unpublished material reports the theoretical explanations for the dropout-

delinquency link. Past studies have pitted strain theory against social control theory when

examining this problem, to the exclusion of other equally plausible explanations. Alternate

theoretical perspectives are explored in this study, the most challenging of which is Gottfredson

and Hirschis general theory of crime, which gives expression to selection effects. In order to

rule out the selection explanation, the causes of dropout must be identified; an extensive review

of the literature on determinants of educational attainment, and causes of dropout in particular,

revealed key causes of dropout. In addition, a review of studies assessing the impact of dropout

on delinquency identified deficiencies in the literature as it stands. Sweeten concludes with an

outline of the steps to remedy these deficiencies.

Torregoza, H. (2015, July 2). Solon sounds alarm on school dropout rate. Philippine Daily Star, p. 11

The dailys news on the alarming dropout rates among public elementary and secondary

students zeroed in on Senator Escuderos take on statistics with regards to the Department of

Educations measures against school dropouts. Torregoza pointed out the senators claim that that

the figures given by the Department of Education (DepEd) show that there has been no

significant improvement in dropoutrates among elementary and high school students from 2007-

2013. Escudero, thus, called on the government to do something more to keep children and

teenagers in school. This was brought by the fact that the elementary dropoutrate has been at 6
percent level since 2008, while that of the secondary level remained within the 7 percent level

since 2007.
The news went on further to say how Escudero lamented that most of the students who

drooped out were among those who belong to the poorest sector and could not afford the costs

associated even with free basic education. Thus, on this note, the daily pointed out how Escudero

urged the government to develop more programs to encourage students tostay inschools and

ensure a zero dropout rate.

Synthesis

At the rate by which the case on dropouts in the Philippines has increased for the past six

years and remains unresolved at present leads to the observation that studies conducted on it are

not yet fully explored or optimized. So, too, are the interventions or measures out in place to

address it. Thus, through and by means of variety of data collection, this study seeks to not just

know the numbers involved where dropout rates are concerned. Rather, this study aims at getting

down to the very root of the problem by means of a qualitative study. This encompasses
This study applies the procedures of qualitative research design in the selection of participants,

data collection and data analysis. The approach was chosen to obtain a detailed description of the

factors that influenced dropping out (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2008). In-depth interviews were

conducted with key stakeholders that included dropouts, parents of dropouts, teachers and school

administrators

III. Methodology

Mixed methods will be used in this study. A mixed methods research is a methodology

for conducting research that involves collecting, analyzing, and integrating quantitative and

qualitative data (Stange etal, 2006). This study will build on descriptive data that has been
 collected in the environment of the participants, using various techniques such as survey

questionnaire, photographs, video recordings, personal documents, memos, public records or

transcribed interviews from the focus group discussion with the respondents.
Since this study seeks to determine the factors associated to the high school leavers of

STNHS, a mixed method approach is ideally suited as variation in data collection leads to

greater validity. It shall also answer the questions from a number of perspectives.

IV. Bibliography

Amoroso,V. (2014, June). Phl dropout rates rising since 2007. philstar.com

Bridgeland, J. (2006, March). The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts.
A report by Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates
for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. www.civicenterprises.net

Burrus, J. (2012). Dropping Out of High School: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Remediation

Strategies. Princeton: ETS Research and Development.

Chirtes, G. ( 2010). A Case Study into The Causes of School Dropout. Acta Didactica

Napocensia. Volume 3, Number 4.

Digal. S. (2009, November 5). Philippines: over 6 million young people drop out of school.
AsiaNews.IT. www.asianews.it

DO 74, s. 2010 - Guidelines on Mainstreaming the Dropout Reduction Program (DORP)

in the Public Secondary Schools. www.deped.edu.ph

Lessard, A., Kisber, L (2014). Analyzing the Discourse of Dropouts and Resilient Students. The
Journal of Educational Research. Published Online: 2013, October 24.pp. 103-110

Nava. F. (2009, December). Factors in School Leaving: Variations Across Gender Groups,

School Levels and Locations. Education Quarterly, Vol. 67 (1), 62-78

Orbeta, A. (2012). Filipino Child Policy Briefs. Manila: PIBS Publications

Sweeten, G. (2004). Unpublished Material: School Dropout and Subsequent Offending:

 Distinguishing Selection From Causation. University of Maryland

Torregoza, H. (2015, July 2). Solon sounds alarm on school dropout rate. Philippine Daily Star, p. 11