Risk and resilience factors for primary school dropout in Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

We examined child-, family-, and school-level risk and resilience factors associated with school dropout using longitudinal data of fifth-grade students in rural Côte d'Ivoire (N = 1195, M_age = 10.75, SD_age = 1.42). Children who dropped out of school were older, involved in more child labour, had poorer literacy skills, owned fewer books, and attended schools with poorer learning environments. Cumulative risk (CR) indices revealed that child-level CR was most strongly associated with dropout (b = 0.86, OR = 0.42) compared to family- and school-level CR; further, children with low child-level CR were more likely to drop out when family-level CR was high (b = −0.23, OR = 1.25). Better school infrastructure and teachers were protective for children who were at high risk of dropout yet remained enrolled. Although child- and family-level factors contribute to risk of dropout, school-level factors may mitigate risks and promote academic resilience among students in West Africa.