Reintegration of Dropout Students in the Post-COVID Period

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63345/ijre.v14.i5.3

Dr Reeta Mishra

IILM University

Knowledge Park II, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306

reeta.mishra@iilm.edu

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated unprecedented disruptions in global education systems, leading to increased dropout rates, especially among vulnerable student populations. Reintegration of these students into formal schooling is critical for mitigating long-term socioeconomic disparities. This manuscript examines the challenges and strategies associated with reintegrating dropout students in the post-COVID period. Through a structured literature review, we identify systemic, psychosocial, and pedagogical barriers. Employing a cross-sectional survey of 250 educators and 200 formerly dropout students across four regions, we explore perceptions of reintegration efficacy. Results highlight the importance of tailored support services, community engagement, and flexible learning modalities. Recommendations emphasize multi-stakeholder collaboration, policy adjustments, and continuous monitoring. The findings offer actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and community organizations aiming to foster educational resilience and equity in the aftermath of the pandemic.

While many education recovery studies document learning loss (Smith et al., 2021; Duff & Cottrell, 2021), fewer examine the return journey of students who disengaged altogether. Reintegration is not a single act of re-enrollment but an ongoing relational, academic, and economic process (González & Núñez, 2022). This paper contributes a multi-dimensional framework—linking economic enablement, psychosocial healing, and instructional flexibility—and tests its resonance through stakeholder perception data. By combining educator and student voices, the study surfaces alignment gaps: schools often emphasize curriculum catch-up, whereas students stress emotional safety and financial relief. The analysis also differentiates between formal reintegration (official re-enrollment) and functional reintegration (sustained attendance, progression, and belonging), a distinction critical for post-crisis accountability (UNICEF, 2022; World Bank, 2022). Insights from this study can support ministries, district planners, NGOs, and donor consortia designing time-bound recovery funds. Interventions such as conditional cash transfers, school meal reinstatement, community mentoring networks, hybrid remedial instruction, and embedded counseling emerged from both evidence and field voice triangulation (Akinsola & Tanimu, 2023; Khan & Ahmed, 2023). Because dropout risk correlates with household volatility, reintegration programs must integrate social protection data streams with school-level early warning systems (Fernandez & Green, 2022).

Keywords
Reintegration, Dropout Students, Post-COVID Education, Survey, Educational Equity

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