School dropout rates in Caribbean up 20% – IDB

Feb 10, 2015 News

– Over 50 percent of the incarcerated population is high school dropouts

School dropout rates in the Caribbean are up to 20% higher than the average in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Alcohol and drug abuse, early and/or unprotected sex, low academic performance, school desertion, crime, delinquency and violence are all examples of what is known today as risky behavior, which may also result in school dropout.
Statistics reveal that over 70 percent of the incarcerated population is high school dropouts – making this an issue that truly impacts every member of the community.
IDB noted that the Caribbean region has one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS, and one of the highest incidences of violence worldwide. As a result, prevention and control of risky behavior among youth has become a fundamental component of the development agenda of governments in the region.
As a result, prevention and control of risky behavior among youth has become a fundamental component of the development agenda of governments in the region.
It was underscored that factors that contribute to this behavior are known as risk factors and include poverty, lack of opportunities, no significant bonds with adults, lack of a connection with educational institutions, and the presence of cultural values that encourage and reinforce risky behavior.
Factors that may reduce the onset of risky behavior, which are protective factors, include close emotional ties with at least one adult, a sense of safety and belonging to an educational institution, strong social skills, ability to solve problems, and a sense of purpose and independence.
International studies reveal that the prevention of risky behaviour should involve addressing risk factors and strengthening protective factors that promote resilience. These steps should begin from early childhood, since from this stage positive and negative experiences can make a difference in the personal growth and development of children. Initiatives to reduce risky behavior that have proven to be cost-effective include: early childhood development programs for children from low-income households; completion of high school-based prevention approaches and remedial programs, better childcare, and adequate health and pharmaceutical services for young people.
The IDB has supported Caribbean countries in a series of projects that have helped address specific risk factors and foster protective factors, even though doing so was not necessarily the explicit goal of the initiatives.
Current and future projects have the potential added value of preventing and controlling risky behavior; however, in order to do so, key challenges should be addressed. First, it is important to recognize that working with at-risk children and youth requires specific and focused interventions or approaches that often may be implemented without incurring high additional costs.
What can be included in teacher development programmes to increase teachers’ abilities to identify risks and promote resilience? How can early childhood programmes prevent violent behaviour in the future? How can health programmes be adapted to attract at-risk youth?
Secondly, there is need to acknowledge that isolated and sporadic interventions are not effective in the prevention of risky behavior. In addition, solid sectoral interventions should be designed to guarantee an integrated approach for children and youth in order to achieve the results desired. This strategy requires the use of a common set of defined indicators and criteria for areas of focus.
“Discussions on the possibilities within the education or other sectors may benefit from the extensive international research available on issues of youth and risky behavior, as well as from an analysis of local resources, advances and limitations. Generating information specifically from Caribbean countries that allow for the identification of relevant risk and protective factors per country, evaluation of the impact and cost-effectiveness of ongoing interventions, and targeting of specific focus areas are challenges we should embrace in order to take advantage of achievements to date.” The IDB noted.