Unrwa School Dropouts In Palestinian Refugee Camps In Lebanon: A Qualitative Study | Ifi Research Report

Research Report | November 2011
UNRWA School Dropouts in Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon: A Qualitative StudyAnies Al-Hroub
This report presents the findings of the second stage of a multi-stage study on the phenomenon of early school dropouts in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Building on the first stage that was a quantitative study, and with an eye towards the third stage, which will propose an empirically based intervention plan, this second stage of the research project is a qualitative study of the phenomenon. Its methodology is grounded in three forms of data collection: one-on-one interviews with eleven dropout students; six focus group discussion interviews with students, parents, teachers, and school administrators; and the tracing of the dropout trajectory of five students. These stakeholders were drawn from four carefully selected UNRWA schools in Lebanon. The qualitative study provides ethnographic accounts of the factors underlying and motivations behind students dropping out of school in these communities. More specifically, attention is paid to important issues, including socio-economic status, school curriculum and services, family involvement, and domestic laws governing the participation of Palestinian refugees in various professions. Beyond simply listing these factors, this study amplifies the voices of students, parents, teachers, and school administrators to highlight the different and detailed ways in which such issues interact with the decision to drop out of school. The conclusion of this report looks toward developing an intervention plan to address the rate of early school dropout in Palestinian refugee camps by providing a preliminary action plan based on the findings of this report.