SCHOOL DROPOUT AND ATTRITION IN HIGH SCHOOL-LEVEL YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION IN MARANHÃO

Abstract

This article aims to analyze school dropout and attrition rates in high school-level Youth and Adult Education in Maranhão. The research employed a qualitative approach involving a literature review, document analysis, and fieldwork at four schools under the Maranhão State Department of Education, including the administration of questionnaires to participating students. The results demonstrate that socioeconomic factors are key determinants of dropout and attrition within the state public school system, influencing students' ability to remain in school. Other contributing factors include a lack of physical and pedagogical support, insufficient welcoming environments, and a failure to guarantee rights on the part of the government, local administrators, and the schools themselves. This situation calls for more decisive state action to provide conditions that ensure student access and retention through the completion of basic education. The study concludes that the causes of dropout and attrition—particularly within the state system—are directly linked to the lifestyles of populations living in disadvantaged contexts characterized by profound social inequalities.