IJECE Published Articles

Abstract This study examined the relationship between household financial status and school retention among Key Stage 2 pupils in the San Jose District, Division of Dinagat Islands. Anchored on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Becker’s Human Capital Theory, the study used a quantitative descriptive-correlational design involving 108 Key Stage 2 pupils from 13 public elementary schools during School Year 2025–2026. Parents or guardians answered a researcher-developed and expert-validated questionnaire measuring financial status in terms of cost of school-related expenses, availability of daily allowance, and access to educational support resources; school retention was verified through school records on attendance inconsistency and school-year completion. The instrument showed excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .959). Results showed that respondents were mostly female parents, particularly mothers, and many households were low-income, large-sized, and dependent on unstable or informal sources of income. Families reported a high level of financial difficulty in school-related expenses (M = 3.20, SD = .766), daily allowance (M = 3.13, SD = .790), and access to educational support resources (M = 3.19, SD = .775). Despite these constraints, pupils demonstrated strong retention, with a mean attendance rate of 98.38%, complete school-year completion, and 100% promotion. Spearman correlation results showed no significant relationship between the financial status indicators and attendance inconsistency: cost of school-related expenses (r = -.035, p = .718), availability of daily allowance (r = .006, p = .948), and access to educational support resources (r = -.017, p = .864). Regression analysis also showed that financial status did not significantly predict attendance inconsistency (R² = .002, F = .056, p = .983). The findings suggest that although families experience considerable financial difficulty, school retention may be sustained by parental commitment, school-based support, community assistance, and government interventions. The study recommends strengthening home-school collaboration, learner assistance mechanisms, livelihood support, and targeted educational subsidies for vulnerable households.