FAMILY CONFLICTS AND STUDENTS DROP OUT IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN RWANDA, A CASE OF BUGESERA DISTRICT RWANDA

The effect of family conflicts on childrens education is significant and can affect various aspects of their educational outcomes.The Objective of the study was to assess the effect of family conflicts on student dropout rates in public primary schools in Bugesera District, Rwanda.. This research was supported with system theory and Maslows hierarchy of needs Theory. The researcher used descriptive research design for data collections. The participants were students, parents, teachers and Head teachers. All respondents was 960 including 30 headteachers 120 teachers,360 parents and 450 Students from 30 schools sampled schools from 15 sectors of Bugesera District, Rwanda. The Yamane formula was used to calculate the sample size of 282 respondents. The participants was chosen by using different methods where researcher was random sampling and purposive sampling. Researcher was questionnaire and interview guide as data collection instruments where Questionnaire was designed to parents and interview guide was designed for schools heads, teachers and students. Researcher used IBM.SPSS 22.0 in analysis procedure.Table 4.16 in the study revealed a strong relationship between family conflict and students drop out rate in public primary schools. This relationship was substantiated by a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.948, which was associated with a statistically significant p-value of 0.000 for a two-tailed test. This suggests a highly positive and statistically significant association between family conflicts and students drop out . The findings also found in table 4.17 that all variables are coherent and students drop out is caused by family conflict within the family as it is shown by the regression analysis model with Square of 0.898 means that the all kinds of family conflict affect significantly students schooling including students drop out. Government should enact policies that prioritize family well-being and address the underlying socioeconomic determinants of family conflicts, such as poverty, unemployment, and inadequate social services. The Ministry of Education should integrate family conflict resolution programs into the national curriculum, equipping students with conflict resolution skills and fostering familial cohesion. Headteachers should foster a supportive school environment that prioritizes the well-being of students and families. Teachers should Cultivate a safe and supportive classroom environment where students feel valued, respected, and empowered to express themselves.