Guyana's declining secondary school retention and completion rates : causes and solutions

Abstract

Despite international initiatives to ensure Universal Secondary Education, many countries continue to face issues with secondary school retention and completion. As this thesis will demonstrate, this may be due to a wide variety of economic, institutional and social factors which influence a students decision to discontinue their secondary education. Utilizing Guyana as a case study, this thesis illustrates the multiplicity of factors causing a decline in secondary school completion rates. The decline in secondary school completion rates signals a critical concern for the future of Guyana's national development objectives. Given the importance of secondary education to the development process, this thesis recommends that Guyana address these issues through a multifaceted approach that includes their current educational policy, the Education Strategic Plan 2008-2013, and an incentive based approach such a as a Conditional Cash Transfer.