The first factor that influences students leaving the school is family issue. Family issue contributes to the dropout problems in Indonesia. There are three factors in family issue: early married or pregnancy, lack of money, and parents’ health. Some teens may have some family problems that force them to stay home instead of remaining seated at school. They may face financial problem in their family. The teens are pushed to find a job to help their parents to earn a living of their family. This phenoma are very common in this country, they drop out from school in order to be a news paper’s street vendor, beggar, busker or garbage collector. Money problem in the family also resulted from the high cost of Education in Indonesia. My high school where I teach for example, even though our province is campaigning about the free school for students; the students must pay at least Rp. 300.000 for school fee per month. Not only that, our school also necessitate the new students to pay the registration fee which is very expensive. Early marriage or pregnancy also becomes the major case in family issue. I used to teach in a very rural high school in Jambi province, Indonesia. In the beginning of the school year, there were 2 students married in their first year, and the other two are pregnant before married. We as their teachers were really shock knowing that our new students were expelled because of the early marriage and pregnancy. Also, family issue plays a significant role of the dropout students. Some students disappear from school because they need to look after them. These three family-related problems are the reasons why some teens must, unexpectedly, leave their lovely friends, teachers and school environment.
The second cause of dropout students is related to academic issue. Low Academic performance also contributes in causing the students leaving school. There are so many students that failed to keep up with their friends and ended up feeling frustrated. This has triggered some students to surrender. Once I taught a class of 35 students, and I found out one student of my students suddenly disappeared from class. He did not say anything neither to our school staff nor to me about why he decided not to continue his study. Eventually, after several weeks, I asked some students about him, then one of my student told me that he was frustrated because his low academic performance. He told to one of my student that he barely understood all the subjects but sports. Unfortunately, our education system cannot help the students who have special talents in sport to focus and specialize only on sport. Our education system force students to study the entire curriculum offered without any consideration whether students need them or not. My student who dropped out may think he would never able to keep up with their friends by merely counting on sports. I did nothing at that time but blaming myself for being unable to help him with his academic difficulty. This may not be my only problems. Teachers in other parts of this country may experience this ironical situation.
The third cause is related to social issue. This includes students’ environments at school and at home. Bullying is the major part that students commonly experienced with their senior or their own friends; as a result, the students who cannot defend their self will think that there is no use to keep staying at school, therefore they decide to move to other schools or even worse they stop studying. The other problem that engenders the social issue at school is juvenile delinquency, such as drugs, drinking, parties, and smoking. These obviously forced students to leave school at early time in order to avoid those kinds of problems. Social factor here not only the social environment at school but also the environment where the students live. When I studied at junior high school I witnessed my friend kicked out from school due to criminality. He was proven guilty in burglary case. I was curious and found out about his background then I realized that he live in a bad social environment where there are many thieves and burglars there. My friend was actually a good guy, I was really sure that he was contaminated by his environment.
The high amount of dropout students in Indonesia has terrible effect on this country. There are at least two consequences of dropout subtends according to Jodee Redmond (nd); firstly, it will lower the opportunity in employment and secondly, it will increase the criminal rate in the country. Uneducated people due to the dropout case will decrease their change to get a better job. Because right now, here in Indonesia, only those who have a bachelor degree who deserve a good job. Thus, the dropout students will automatically become unemployment. This situation undoubtedly stimulates the criminality. Since they do not have any other choices, they then decide to be a gangster, drug distributor, pocket picker, burglar, robber etc. Because the only way they can get money and survive is by become a bandit. Therefore, we must support government to deal with these problems.
In conclusion, the dropout students in Indonesia are mainly caused by three factors; family issue, academic Issue, and social issue. These are such serious problems that we must help government to do some planning and actions in order to avoid the unemployment and criminal rate in this country. If we and government do not react to these serious matters, I believe this will become a time bomb that will blast anywhere and anytime.
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Reference:
ELN (2011) 527.850 Siswa SD Putus Sekolah [online] available: http://edukasi.kompas.com/read/2011/03/04/10323346/527.850.Siswa.SD.Putus.Sekolah accessed from the internet on 28 December 2011.
Redmond, Jodde (n.d) Causes of High School Dropouts [online] available: http://teens.lovetoknow.com/Why_Kids_Drop_Out_of_High_School Accessed from the internet on 28 December 2011.
Muhammad, AM (2011) Murah Saja Belum Cukup [online] available: http://edukasi.kompasiana.com/2011/05/06/murah-saja-belum-cukup/ Accessed from the Internet on 28 December 2011.
Taniadworjan (n.d) Why Kids Dropout of High School [online] available: http://teens.lovetoknow.com/Why_Kids_Drop_Out_of_High_School Accessed from the internet on 28 December 2011.
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