ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this article is to understand the motivations for school failure (infrequency, grade repetition and dropout) in the first year of high school and ways to reverse them. Data were collected in 2014, through focus groups with students of 15 to 19 years old and semi-structured interviews with counselors. School failure is due to work; family matters (no supervision of school activities; taking care of siblings, husbands, children); lack of money to pay for transportation; violence; lack of interest in classes; bad quality teachers; drug use; bad companies; bullying; and previous grade repetition. School failure could be reduced with actions by the State (better infrastructure, higher salaries, programs to keep teens at school), the school (motivated teachers, new ways of teaching, more dialogue between directors and students), the family (supervision of school activities, participation in parent-teacher meetings), and the student (more dedication, attention during class).
Keywords:
School achievement; School failure; Dropout; High School; Teenagers