SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG ADOLESCENTS - SCHOOL SATISFACTION AND SELF-EFFICACY

Dropping out of school is a topical phenomenon, being considered not only an act of dropping out of formal education, but also a risky behavior with multiple negative implications on the psychological, social and economic development of adolescents. Adolescence is a period of transition, characterized by a series of biological, cognitive, emotional and social changes. During this period, young people face a number of challenges and the decisions they make can have a long-term impact on the quality of their lives. Dropping out of school is thus a significant threat to adolescents' well-being, both now and in the future. School drop-out has a high incidence in many societies and is an important indicator of the educational health of a country. It affects not only the individual but also the community, contributing to a cycle of poverty and social exclusion. When students drop out of high school, this usually has a negative impact both on their personal development and on society, as they are exposed to an increased risk of unemployment, health problems and social integration difficulties. The aim of this article is to present the causes of school drop-out among adolescents and to present statistically the drop-out rates in different regions/schools, especially in Romania. The average of the 27 EU countries has a 78.5% school enrolment rate according to 2008 data, while our country has a 78.3% share, respectively the early school leaving rate is 14.9% in the EU and 15.9% in Romania. As a result of the analysis we can state that there is a strong link between the variables participation in education and the early school leaving rate, and a perfect link between the educational attainment and the unemployment rate. In Romania school dropout rates continue to rise, ranking first in the European Union in this respect. Thus, as the Social Monitor shows, in 2022 the dropout rate at the country level was 15.6% while the average at the European Union level was 10% and has continued to decrease in recent years.