Exploring Dropout Rates and Causes of Dropout in Upper-Secondary Vocational Schools

26 Pages Posted: 22 Mar 2017

See all articles by Yezhou Yao

Yezhou Yao

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) - Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP)

Hongmei Yi

School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University

Linxiu Zhang

Chinese Academy of Sciences - Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy

Wang Huan

Independent

Chu Yang

Independent

Yaojiang Shi

Shaanxi Normal University

James Chu

Stanford University, Department of Sociology, Students; Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Prashant Kumar Loyalka

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Scott Rozelle

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies

Date Written: March 21, 2017

Abstract

Background. Policymakers in many developing countries regard upper--secondary technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a key element in economic growth and overty reduction. Unfortunately, there is evidence that the quality of TVET programs in developing countries is low. Although there are a number of indicators of low quality, one indicator is student dropout. The overall goal of this study is examine one dimension of the quality of China's TVET schools by studying the dropout behavior of TVET students. To meet this goal, we have three specific objectives. First, we seek to produce quality estimates of dropout rates among students in China's TVET schools. second, we seek to identify which students drop out from TVET. Third, we test whether financial constraints, math and computer achievement, and parental education and migration status correlate with TVET dropout. Drawing on data from a national survey of 7,414 upper-secondary TVET students, we dropout rates of 10.7% across China as a whole and as high as 22% in poorer inland areas, suggesting major gaps and disparities in Chinese TVET quality. Furthermore, we find that baseline academic performance and maternal education and migration status are strong correlates for student dropout.

Suggested Citation

Yao, Yezhou and Yi, Hongmei and Zhang, Linxiu and Huan, Wang and Yang, Chu and Shi, Yaojiang and Chu, James and Loyalka, Prashant and Rozelle, Scott, Exploring Dropout Rates and Causes of Dropout in Upper-Secondary Vocational Schools (March 21, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2938383

Yezhou Yao

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) - Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP) ( email )

Jia 11, Datun Road
Beijing 100101
China

Hongmei Yi (Contact Author)

School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University ( email )

Room 412, Wangkezhen Buidling, Peking Unviersity
Beijing, 100871
China

Linxiu Zhang

Chinese Academy of Sciences - Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy ( email )

Anwai, Beijing, 100101
China

Wang Huan

Independent ( email )

Chu Yang

Independent ( email )

Yaojiang Shi

Shaanxi Normal University ( email )

Chang'an Chang'an District
199 South Road
Xi'an, OH Shaanxi Province 710062
China

James Chu

Stanford University, Department of Sociology, Students ( email )

Stanford
United States

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Prashant Loyalka

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Scott Rozelle

Stanford University - Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

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