RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DROPOUT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ROMANIA

High school dropout rate in Romania has increased during past 10 years, up to 20%, being one of the highest rates in the European Union. In the current research we investigate teachers' perception on dropout phenomenon at high school and their experiences with students at-risk. Using 8 focus groups conducted with teachers from different Romanian regions, coming from high schools in rural an urban areas, we analyze their discourse regarding the drop out cases encountered and associated actions. We reveal local factors that may have a stronger effect on dropout phenomenon in Romania than elsewhere in Europe and need to be further investigated: parents' migration for work abroad; number of working hours in the household, class size and the lack of career counseling for students in high school. The results show that teachers' de-motivation and pessimist views on the educational system in general might be important factors in the equation. In addition the lack of legitimacy for teachers in front of their students and the difficulty for them to present themselves as role models are important factors to discuss in the current paper.