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Factors affecting participation of females in secondary schools in
Mbarara district
09/U/13956/EXT
Asingwire Evas
Dissertation submitted for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for
award of common wealth diploma in youth s in development work of
Makerere University
September, 2011
1
Declaration I ASINGWIRE EVAS Declare that this dissertation is my own original work and has not
been submitted by any student or University for any award.
Signature…………………………………
Date……………………………………….
i
Approval
This is to certify that this dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of common wealth diploma in youth in development work
with my approval as a University Supervisor.
Name…………………………
Date…………………………..
Signature…………………….
ii
Dedication
I dedicate this dissertation to my dear sisters, Atuhire Irene, Bareba Mary, Asimwe Julius
and my brothers Arinaitwe Joseph, Kangire Stephen for their encouragement.
iii
Acknowledgement
Glory and honor to God for his help and guidance during the time of writing this research
report and my University supervisor Kalule Ducan for the time he rendered to me.
I also wish to thank Osinde Steven for his time, finance assistance and encouragement.
I thank Natamba Be for the pure hope she had on my side. May the Almighty God bless
those mentioned and unmentioned?
iv
Table of contents
Declaration............................................................................................................................i
Approval..............................................................................................................................ii
Dedication..........................................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgement..............................................................................................................iv
Table of contents..................................................................................................................v
List of tables......................................................................................................................vii
Abstract...............................................................................................................................ix
CHAPTER ONE:INTRODUCTION...............................................................................1
Background of the study...........................................................................................1
Statement of the problem..........................................................................................2
Objectives of the study..............................................................................................3
Research questions....................................................................................................3
Scope of the study.....................................................................................................4
The significance of the study....................................................................................4
Definition of terms....................................................................................................5
Limitations of the study.............................................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO:LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................7
Historical background of the Female Education.......................................................7
The nature of female education in developing countries........................................11
Factors affecting participation of females in secondary schools.............................11
School- Related Factors..........................................................................................12
Distance to School...................................................................................................13
Teachers’ Treatment................................................................................................15
Lack guidance and Counseling Service..................................................................17
Absence or Shortage of School Facilities...............................................................18
Repetition................................................................................................................19
Absenteeism............................................................................................................20
v
Out – of- School factors..........................................................................................21
CHAPTER THREE:METHODOLOGY......................................................................26
Introduction.............................................................................................................26
Research design.......................................................................................................26
Population of the study............................................................................................26
Sample selection method and size...........................................................................26
Section of schools....................................................................................................26
Selection of respondents..........................................................................................27
Research Instruments..............................................................................................27
Written documents..................................................................................................27
Questionnaires.........................................................................................................27
Interview guide........................................................................................................27
Observation.............................................................................................................28
Sampling procedure.................................................................................................28
Data analysis method..............................................................................................28
CHAPTER FOUR:PRESENTATIONS ANALYSIS OF THE DATA AND
DISCUSSIONS.................................................................................................................29
Description of the Respondents...............................................................................29
Background of Female Ex-students’ Respondents..................................................29
Major Factors Affecting Participation of Female Students in Secondary Schools. 31
School Related Factors............................................................................................31
Shortage of School Facilities...................................................................................34
Lack of School guidance and Counseling...............................................................37
Teachers’ Treatment on Female Students...............................................................38
CHAPTER FIVE:SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS....65
Summary and conclusions.......................................................................................65
Recommendations...................................................................................................67
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List of tables
Table 1: Characteristics of female ex-students' respondents of the interview questions...29
Table 2: The ex-female students' respondents’ age background.......................................30
Table 3: The sample schools directors’ educational background and service years.........31
Table 4: Female school leavers' respondents whether they reached at school on time or
not during their presence in the school..............................................................................32
Table 5: Teachers’ response on the arrival of female students from home to school.......32
Table 6: Female ex-students state the table given below the degree of the problems from
the heaviest ones to the easiest..........................................................................................33
Table 7: Female school leavers’ response about the availability of school facilities........34
Table 8: Teachers’ response on lack of school facilities to secondary schools' learners. .35
Table 9: Teachers’ response on the influence of the absence of guidance and counseling
for educational participation of female in secondary schools...........................................37
Table 10: School-administrators, teachers and female ex-students' responses about
teachers’ treatment on schoolgirls during teaching- learning process...............................38
Table 11: Responses of the directors about the reasons that the schools do not have
special or compulsory classes for girls..............................................................................40
Table 12: the directors’ responses on females’ participation in different clubs................41
Table 13: Teachers’ evaluation or identification of tasks by which they are mostly done42
Table 14: Female ex-students response regarding the subjects.........................................43
Table 15: Teachers’ observation on the academic performance of female school leavers in
high schools.......................................................................................................................44
Table 16: Parents responses of the grade levels that their daughters repeated..................45
Table 17: Sample teachers’ evaluation on female students’ response in the teaching -
learning process.................................................................................................................45
Table 18: Female school leavers' response regarding on their absenteeism in the last
grade they attended during their presence in the school....................................................46
Table 19: Parents’ overview about their daughters' absenteeism form school..................47
Table 20: Parents’ suggestions regarding the reasons of their daughters’ absence from
schools...............................................................................................................................48
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Table 21: Female Ex-students’ responses about families and their structure....................49
Table 22: Educational Background of the interviewed girls’ parents...............................51
Table 23: Parents’ occupational background.....................................................................51
Table 24; Female ex-students, parents and directors’ responses for the questions about
school age-girls' marriage and pregnancy before completing their secondary schools.....52
Table 25: Sample female students' marital status..............................................................54
Table 26: Parents’ responses on their daughters’ marital status........................................55
Table 27: Teachers’ evaluation about the influence of marriage and pregnancy on female
students..............................................................................................................................56
Table 28: Sample female ex- students’ response on their out of School activities...........57
Table 29: Female ex-students' and their parents’ responses on girls’ working hours per a
day in home activities than educational activities.............................................................58
Table 30: Female- students’ response regarding their parent’s monthly income..............59
Table 31: Female ex-students response concerning their parents’ feeling due to their
giving up of education.......................................................................................................60
Table 32: Parents’ responses on number their daughters as well as their opinion towards
their daughters' educational situation.................................................................................61
Table 33: Parents' preference to send their children to school..........................................62
Table 34: Female ex-students and their parent’s response on the main reasons for
females’ giving up the education.......................................................................................63
Table 35: Teachers’ responses about the reasons that parents do not support or motivate
their daughters...................................................................................................................64
viii
Abstract
The major Objectives of this study were to investigate the factors affecting participation
of females in secondary schools of Mbarara district. To achieve this, the descriptive
survey method was used in secondary schools five in number of the district were the
selected used convenient sampling method ,questionnaires for teachers, students, and
structured interview form for students, parents and school personnel were used as data
collection instruments. The study included a total of 80 female- secondary leavers, 73
parents 80 secondary teachers and 5 secondary school personnel. In reporting and
analyzing the results percentages, distributors. The major findings revealed that school
related factors such as distance from home to school, un-programmed pregnancy,
marriages, family’s educational and economic academic performances, burden in
domestic activities etc negatively affected the participation of female students in
secondary schools. Thus, it is recommended that community leaders, nongovernmental
administrators, governments and specially education officers, women’s Association
Affairs of Sector Bureau and other responsible authorities should be involved in
advocacy and arrange speak programs in order to change the old traditional and cultural
barriers to education of girls in the district.
ix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
It has time and gain been declared that education plays an important role in nation
building. In other words, it is the most important tool that promotes the welfare of given
society. In general, education is an important means of economic, social and cultural
development of a nation and requires due attention in all aspects of its features.
Thus, equal opportunity of education for both men and women is categorical. Without
enlightening and empowerment of women; national endeavor can easily be emasculated.
This is because 50% of not more, of the labour force belongs to women (MOE, 1985),
investing in schooling has also been considered as investment labour productivity and
there-by contribute markedly the economic growth and development of a nation (Shultz,
1992).
Secondary education should be given more emphasis since it is the foundation of further
system of education. Its main purposes are to produce intellectuals and numerate
population that could deal with problems encountered at work and to serve as a
foundation on which further education it built. Then, to provide this, the instruction of
children at the secondary level is that basic foundation of further education.
The development of national manpower resources, however, cannot be thought of
without the proper consideration of women. This is an attitude that needs to be become in
the minds of policy makers, managers and other authorities who are directly or indirectly
involved in the social sectors.
As Semagn (1986) like other developing countries, the overall majority of the population
in Uganda is based on the substance farming of which family labour is the chief feature.
Apart from food and taking care of children, women participate virtually in all aspects of
agricultural activities and yet their contributions are much less valued as to the men’s
1
however, nearly everywhere in the world, females are given where in the world, females
are given less education than men are in the entire globe. This implies that the majority of
the illiterates are women.
Beyond pedagogy, Yelfign (1990) said that there subtle classroom management actions
that effect girls’ participation in education such as; sexual harassment of girls who were
made to feel uncomfortable. Subject teachers might also ignore girls because they
assumed that they are more quitters than boys are; teachers might use derogatory
comments based on their wrong decision that girls’ answers are more discursive than
boys are.
According to Ministry of Education (1999-2000) has shown, among the number of
students in secondary schools the respect of girls is greater than that of boys too.
Despite all these facts, efforts were made to increase the participation of females in
education after private schools were opened in Uganda. Fewer girls have shown that
though relatively fewer girls enroll in school, higher preparations of them leave
secondary school before completing A level.
Therefore, based on these facts, investigating the magnitude of the factors that the
participation of females in different secondary schools of Mbarara district is extremely
important to seek certain possible solution to alleviate the problem. Besides this, due to
the gender gap in school, participation and dropout rates (Genet, 1991), the study
examined the causes of in-school and out-of-school factors that affect educational
participation of girls in secondary schools.
In short, the study focuses at collecting information to investigate the problem of female
participation in the secondary of Mbarara district.
Statement of the problem
It is well documented that all pupils admitted to the given grade of educational cycles do
not complete those cycles with in a prescribed minimum period (Wanna & Tsion, 1994).
2
Some of them dropout before the end of the cycles and some of them repeat one or more
grades before completing the last grade of the cycles successfully.
In fact the cause of these incidents can be various factors such as the existing situation of
the district, distance from school, parents, poor economic background, and early marriage
and so on.
Inspite of the continuing effort that has been made up to now, studies show that Uganda
has not managed to provide secondary education for all of its children in particular for
girls.
Education is above all, a matter of socialization. The number of girls who repeat in the
same grade is relatively greater than that of boys.
Then, it seems that practically little has been done to find out the main causes that affect
the participation of girls in secondary schools in case of Mbarara district.
Thus, the researcher feels that there is a need to investigate closely beyond the
quantitative data in order to find out the root cases that affect the participation of girls in
secondary education of Mbarara district hence this study will focus on surveying and
explaining the factors that affect it participation of females in secondary schools of
Mbarara district.
Objectives of the study
The main objective of the study is to investigate a better understanding of school and
home factors that affect or hinder girls’ participation in the secondary schools.
Specific objectives
1) Provide information based on the situation of the historical girls’ participation and
persistence at secondary level in Mbarara district
2) Provide information to nature of female education in Mbarara distrct
3) Provide information that affects education based on repetition and withdraw rate
of them in Mbarara district.
3
Research questions
1) What hinders school age- girls from participating in secondary education in Mbarara
district?
2) What are the major factors (school related) for withdraw of females in secondary
schools in Mbrara district?
3) What are the main out-of-school factors that affect the participation of female in
secondary schools in Mbarara district?
Scope of the study
The study was carried out in both government and private secondary schools of Mbarara
district with the aim of investigating a better understanding of school and home factors
that affect or hinder girls’ participation in the secondary schools, information based on
the situation of girls participation and persistence, nature of female education, effects of
education based on repetition at secondary level with a period of 5 months that is to say
from May to December.
The significance of the study
The finding from the study will be interested to the educational decision-makers at
various levels, parents, teachers, school personnel and female students themselves.
The knowledge that will be gained from this study is useful for designing strategies that
might help to
i) Increase the participation and persistence of school age girls ins secondary
education and
ii) Make some corrective measures towards improving the scholastic
achievements of females who were able to attend secondary education.
The study finding shown that investing in girls’ education is the single most important
investment that developing countries like Uganda can make in order to improve the
quality of life of their people.
4
The study may also be interest to all those who concern with the promotion of female
education like some non-governmental organizations and other funding agencies working
both within schools and within Mbarara district.
Definition of terms
Certain terns were involved in the study with special emphasis.
1. Dropout- a student who leaves the school before completing the final academic
year o f the cycle in which she / he is enrolled.
2. Factors: refers to variables that influence or affect females’ participation in
secondary schools.
3. Female students’ marriage: the marriage of girls before completing their
secondary education
4. Female students’ marriage: The marriage of girls before completing their
secondary education.
5. Female students school levels: These are female students who left their secondary
education due to certain problems before completing secondary schools cycle.
6. Participation refers to the in and out students of females in secondary schools
7. Repeater: Is a student who doesn’t pass in to the next grade level in secondary
schools.
8. Sample female students: Refers to the female ex- students of secondary schools
who were asked in an interview in the study.
9. Sample parents: The who are the parents of sample female students in the stud
10. School personnel: Refers to principles or school administrators or directors of the
five sample secondary schools of the study
11. Un-programmed pregnancy; Refers, the pregnancy of female students without
completing their secondary education.
12. Secondary school: The second stage of schooling structure in Uganda
5
Limitations of the study
It is rue to say that any type of researcher requires a definite period of time in order to get
available information for his / her research.
1) Has used limited data
2) Didn’t assess all factors affecting female education in general rather than it is
attempting on major the factors affecting their participation of education in
secondary schools.
3) Stressed on the participation of female students in their education secondary
schools.
4) Analysed in and out of school factors that influence the participation of female
students in their secondary education.
5) Didn’t include male secondary schools. Students in this study and
6) Didn’t include the actual students of the secondary schools of Mbarara district.
6
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Historical background of the Female Education
Many studies have shown that the cornerstone for the development of education is
religious-worship (Pankhurst, 1968). The church organisations taught their followers both
males & females the basic education, particularly how to read and write the bible.
Reading a bible therefore was one of the first schools for girls’ education. The themes of
their education were many and were related to their domestic role with an emphasis on
housewifery and other domestic subjects so that they would become good maids and
mothers (UNICEF, 1982 and Deghe, 1985). These imply that women were not involved
in all types of educational program and course of study in earliest period of times
Furthermore, female’s education was influenced by macro and micro-level of
determinants including societal and school characteristics as well as family’s background
(UNESCO, 1970). Due to this, educational opportunities for girls remain distinctly below
those open to boys. The UNESCO’s Report (1970) added that this is true not only in
qualitative terms, but also in quantitative terms of education. According to the
UNESCO’s report, girls haven’t enjoyed all educational opportunities. Early everywhere
in the world, school age-girls are given less educational opportunities than that of boys.
Without exception, the majority of illiterates are females.
Disparities in education between females and males have been prevalent in almost all
societies and all times; such disparities existed even in those societies that placed a high
value on learning including Classical Athens (Coombs, 1985). Every culture establishes
psychological standards of behavior for both sexes.
However, after a long period of time, gender inequalities, particularly in the respect of
education, has been given serious attention in the world especially in developing
countries.
For instance, in recent decades, Sanabary (1989), the Middle East and North American
countries have much progress in the area of female education. This progress is in fact
seen by phenomenal growth of enrollment of students at all levels of the diversification of
7
curriculum at the post-primary level and the increased opportunities of education in rural
areas. As a result of these changes, the gender gap in education has narrowed.
Besides this, in developing nations, Coombs (1985) stated it, it is believed that education
of females contributes towards population control; family health and nutrition; receptivity
to innovations and educational motivation of school age-girls. According to Conway and
Bourgue (1993), in many developing countries, a remarkable explanation took place in
girls’ educational access in recent years. However, inequalities still persisted in
educational access as well as in educational experiences.
Furthermore, the educational attainment of Middle East and North African girls is still
too low. And disparities also persist lack of full class of basic primary education; higher
school leaver rates of girls than boys; inadequate access to vocational and technical
education of girls at secondary level; concentration on traditional females’ fields at
tertiary level and so forth. In short, although both rural and urban girls contribute
significantly to the well being of the family, development of the community and the
country at large, they are among the most disadvantaged sectors of education (UNIFECT,
1982).
For instance, in Sub-Saharan African 36 million girls were missing from school and those
who gained access to education were poorly served (FAWE, 1995). At secondary and
tertiary levels, the discrepancies between boys’ and girls’ education increase radically. In
Sub-Saharan African countries, only 10 percent of girls as compared to 36 percent of
boys attend secondary school (FAWE, 1995) although a large number of national budgets
in many African countries devoted to education expenditure.
However, in recent years, relatively greater and sudden attention has been given to
gender inequalities in many aspects of life including education. For instance, in
developing countries, it is today widely believed that the education of females is a basis
to all other elements on which transformation of societies depends. As Coombs (1985)
explained it, in developing nations, it is believed that the education of females contributes
towards population control, personal as well as family health and nutrition respectively to
innovations and educational motivation of children.
8
In addition to this, several scholars have the opinion that change in attitude to parents’
result is increased female enrollment (Dirirsa, 1993). The finding of this study further
indicates that parent’s attitudinal change or modernity favors females were lower in areas
where the population is less exposed to new ideas or modern thinking (Jone, 1980).
Besides this, Hosken (1987) also argues that urbanization provide opportunity for
attitudinal change which could result in parents’ willingness to send their daughters to
school. In line with this view, Coombs (1985) also noted that since traditional culture
barriers breakdown faster in cities than in the countryside, urbanization favors increased
female participation.
In the second half of the twentieth century, relatively greater efforts was exerted by
international bodies and organizations that encouraged the expansion of the education
system in general and female in particular in the developed world.
Furthermore, one of the out-standing events of the last hundred years, Skard (1985),
which can be considered a turning point in history, is the changing point in the way
women live, the statements made about them and the action taken concerning them.
Then, much work is needed to increase the education of both sexes. Most people
including those in the government departments responsible for education policies
recognize that girls’ absence from education undermines their potential contribution to
national development (FAWE, 1999).
Besides this, FAWE (1999) also added that improving the opportunities for girls to get an
education would be great benefit to the nation of sub-Saharan Africa. It would increase
the hopes and expectation of millions of African girls; the business people, scientists,
civil servants, politicians, farmers and care takers of the future.
However, the progress with female education in particular has been slow. The proportion
of girls’ educational participation actually declined in almost half of the countries in SSA
(FAWE, 1998). The article noted that to find ways of tackling it, detailed studies have
been carried out in Ethiopia, Guinea and Tanzania under the FAWE Strategies Resource
Planning (SRP) programme. For instance, the conference held in Addis Ababa in 1961
9
initiated African countries to realize the need to expand provision of basic education
service. In line with this, African conferences were held in Monrovia in 1979, in Lagos in
1980 and in Harare in 1982.
The conferences underlined that African states ought to show effort to expand primary
and secondary education so that it reaches all children both sexes (UNESCO, 1984).
Everywhere, indeed, women have the right to education. However, education was
originally often the preserve of boys; modern technological and scientific knowledge also
remained, in many cases, to the privilege of men too.
However, from the very beginning, UNESCO has always been in favour of women to
education since women is as much a human being as man. They are equally entitled to
develop their abilities, to choose the sort of life they wish to lead and to carry on arrival
the activities and assume all the responsibilities that go to make up human dignity.
Therefore, all appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure to girls and women, married
and unmarried equal rights with men in education at all levels, and equality of
opportunity in education regarding gender, it is necessary to satisfy at least the following
three basic conditions (Atsede and Kebede, 1988).
a) There should be quantitative equality between girls and boys in the formal system of
education.
b) There must be quantitative equality between girls and boys in the formal system of
education.
c) There must exist clearly enunciated and implementable equality in the definition of
educational goals and objectives, in curricular offerings,, and
d) Societal and cultural attitudes towards educational participation of both sexes must be
the same.
Moreover, the above points emphasis that all problems that block females’ progress in
education should be removed. So, it is necessary to identify successfully the factors
affecting participation of females in the secondary school in Mbarara district.
10
The nature of female education in developing countries
In recent years, educated women are better equipped to enter the paid labor force which is
critical to the survival of the many female headed house-holds in developing countries
(Rosemary & Elizabeth, 1991). It is not also surprising then, that nations with higher
levels of female school participation in the past today shows higher levels of economic
productivity, lower fertility, lower infant and maternal mortality and longer life
expectancy than countries that have not achieved as high participation levels for girls.
Large amounts of national budget in many developing countries are devoted to education
expenditure. Despite this, there have not been significant improvements in female
education in Sub-Saharan African in recent years.
Although African women have been described as “The foundation of life in Africa” and
“Female education is also one of the most powerful forces for development in low-
income countries”, there are obstacles standing in the way of girls education. Some of
them are centre up on lack of balanced national investment in education, wide-spread
poverty, inadequate learning and achievement opportunities in the school, lack of job
opportunities with low level of schooling and the persistence of natural traditional views
on women’s roles in society and the like (FAWE, 1999).
As UNICEF (1992) stated it, the legal and political rights of women to care for herself
and for her children depend on the level of education she gets. This is why FAWE (2000)
stated that access to a good quality education is acknowledgeable as a basic human right.
Generally, in recent years, a lot of empirical researchers have conducted their studies in
many developing countries regarding gender and education. These researchers have
already stated clearly the major factors affecting participating of female students’
education as compared to boys. Some of the major factors revealed by researchers as
affecting girls’ education are engaging in crowded of activities at home to help their
parents like fetching water and fire-wood, take-care of young children, cleaning the house
and its compound, early marriage, lack of helper and so forth.
Factors affecting participation of females in secondary schools
As Tilaye (1997) reported, a number of research findings show that dropping out of
students from secondary-schools of both developed and undeveloped countries has been a
11
serious problem of females’ educational participation. For instance, Curle (1973)
expresses the situation by saying, “It is ironic that the richest and poorest countries share
a serious educational problem of the dropouts”. “As Stevens and Vantil (1982) pointed
out, in many developed countries including America, an over-whelming number of youth
(especially girls) leave secondary school without graduating on these days. Bishop (1989)
explains that over25 percent of secondary school female students leave school
prematurely”.
Furthermore, the problem of secondary school dropouts of girls is very much pressing
when it comes to the developing countries (Coombs 1985; Lockheed & Verspoor, 1991).
Seged, et al (1991) made the view that inspite of the increased number of schools and
notwithstanding the efforts made to raise school participation ratio in many developing
countries, the number of those whom successfully complete secondary cycle particularly,
regarding females is considerably low.
Hence, the above-mentioned statements confirm that the great majority of girls enrolled
is secondary schools do not continue with their secondary education. It has also
evidenced that secondary schools do not continue with their secondary education. It has
also evidence that secondary school leavers’ rate, particularly females in developing
countries like Uganda, is of high magnitude that requires great attention from researchers
and policy makers.
School- Related Factors
As different researchers have mentioned it, school environment is one of the major
factors that affect participation of female-students (Maglad, 1994 and World Bank,
1988).
Regarding this, factors like the absence or shortage of instructional materials, poor
quality of teachers, inappropriate content of curricula, distance from home to school, poor
administration of the school, absence of guidance and counseling service, absenteeism
and the like are the most common factors affecting girls' participation of secondary
education.
12
In line with this, Hyde (1983) points it out, traditional constraints such as school-related
problems and culture concerns force parents not to send girls to school. This could be
impossible even when the opportunity cost of girls, chore time is slow, unless schools are
located close to home, equipped with educational facilities such as separate toilets for
boys and girls, etc.
Distance to School.
Many researchers have agreed that the distance to school is an important determinant
factor of students’ participation in secondary schools (Anderson, 1992, Cammish &
Brock, 1994). As Deble (1980) states, the geographical location of the school has a
decisive impact on the chance of going to school and staying longer due to lack of
transportation facilities in most of developing countries. For instance, Herz (1991) stated
that the closer the school to home, the less parents to worry about their girls’ safety or
reputation since they can be kept under close watch. Where the transportation is difficult
or costly and where population is dispersed, distance is likely to matter more. Likewise,
Jones (1986) also noted that lower rate of participation of females’ results partly from
distance to school.
Furthermore, as many research findings have indicated that length of time it took a
student to reach school affects not only female students' participation of education but
also their achievement. Similarly, Herz (1991) noted that the closer the school to home,
the more parents
Motivate to send their daughters within a short period of time repeatedly. According to
Herz (1991), far distance of secondary school from home seriously affects participation
rate of girls than that of boys since parents are not volunteer to send their daughters to far
distance of secondary school.
Similarly, the findings of the studies made in Ethiopia confirmed that distance to school
affects participation of school age-girls. For instance, a study made in selected primary
schools in Bahar Dar Awraja revealed that students lived closer to the primary schools
were enrolled than those who were not closer to school. Administrative regions as well as
Awrajas, which have closer schools, have higher rate of educational participation of girls.
13
In addition to this, as different researchers such as Tadesse (1974) and Odaga (1995)
stated, the location as well as the distribution of secondary schools in most of developing
countries particularly in Africa including Uganda is unsuitable. For instance, the
distribution of Ethiopian schools is generally located in capital cities, zones and district
towns as well as along the main roads. So, this implies that many students who lived far
from the schools had to walk long distance to reach to school so as to learn. Hence, the
distance and inferior to walk long distance for many hours, a large number of female
students had left their secondary education before completing the cycles
(Anbesu, 1992 and Dirirsa, 1993).
Besides this, the World Bank policy paper (1990) indicates that, in Egypt, the enrollment
of girls who came two kilo meter to school was 8 percent less than that of girls who came
one kilo meter to school. Finally, the paper underlined that since the distance to school is
a very seriously problem for female students education, providing them schools which
are build at appropriate distance of location is a best respond to increase their
participation rate of education.
This could be also one of the motivation methods of parents in order to send their
daughters to school.
However, as Jones (1986) observed in Tunisia, availability of schools strongly influences
parental decision about their daughters' schooling as well as their progress. This implies
that the presence of enough school in the appropriate locations play more dominant factor
than parental decision since parents who want to send their daughters to secondary school
cannot decide without the presence of the level schools.
In line with this, Maglad (1994) & Anderson (1992) suggest that such urban biased
educational system decrease the educational participation rate of females in secondary
schools by raising both direct and indirect costs of schooling.
As the researchers’ findings (Yelfign, 1990 and Assefa, 1991) revealed, the location or
distances of the schools strongly influence parental decision on persistence of children’s,
particularly daughters schooling. The greater the distance between children’s home to
school, the higher is the less participation rate particularly for females.
Generally, this implies that far distance from home to school is found to have negative
effect on the participation rate of female-students in the secondary schools.
14
Teachers’ Treatment
Many educators agree that teachers should treat all of their students fairly regardless of
their sex and background. So, plenty of researchers’ results have revealed that teachers
are very crucial to adolescent adjustment in school setting and for the vast majority of
school youth effective learning and persistence in school takes place where there are
sufficiently trained teachers. That is why Chantavanich and Fry (1990) suggest that
selection and training of
Teachers should be carried on very carefully.
However, on the other hand, many research results show that, in practice, teachers
interact differently with their male and female students especially in favors of males
(UNESCO, 1984). According to UNESCO’s (1984) recommendation of different
countries’ experiences, teachers prefer to introduce topics that are usually associated with
males. The article added that although many teachers believed that it was easier to teach
girls, most of them prefer to teach boys to girls’ in particular situation.
Furthermore, according to FAWE News (2001), in Nairobi, most teachers don not
motivate female-students to learn subjects like mathematics and physics since they have
wrong estimation that they are difficult subjects which could not be understood by
females. In addition to this, the paper also revealed about one of female students who
were learning in Ngong Secondary School. She explained about her mathematics
teacher's partial activity by saying that he would skip marking her mathematics exercise
book even if all of them (the boy and the girls) shared a single desk. She added that in her
school even if a girl lifted her hand to answer a question, the teacher would point at her
reluctantly because he was completely biased that she could not answer correctly like the
boys. Besides this, the paper (FAWE, 2001) stated that a study made in 36 Kenyan
schools by Barbara S. Mensch and Cynthia B, Lioyd showed that some teachers
discouraged girls in the class by saying "Lazy salesmen like some young girls get very
little commission too. “Besides this, when girls gave wrong answers, the teachers
expressed their feeling by saying, "girls don't use their
Heads”.
Hence, in the Mensch and Lioyd study, it was found that teachers (both males and
females) prefer teaching boys to girls since they expect that boys are naturally more
15
competent in some subjects such as science, mathematics etc rather than girls. While
females are expected as they are talent in languages such as English (Herz, 1991).
In addition to this, most teachers, (Weiner, 1994), are given more attention to boys rather
than girls since they assumed that boys are more intelligent, active, creative and
interested than girls. Generally, most teachers (females and males) are biased to their boy
students for they expect boys are positive than girls to pay attention for their teachers to
receive and/or respond information (Odaga 1995).
Hence, the partial treatment of teachers on girls from boys may lead to an erosion of
confidence and development of negative towards school learning, which may result in
high school leavers rate among female students (Stow and Selfe 1989). Measor and Sikes
(1992) also point out that sexual harassment of schoolgirls by male teachers may also
lead them to have fewer participants in their secondary education.
Then, this implies that most teachers also discourage the educational participation of
female students in secondary schools. As Thomas (1990) suggested that a large number
of male teachers are more likely to regard highly if they think if males than females have
written it.
This indicates clearly those teachers’ unequal unfair or treatment on their students in the
same subject within the same class.
It is also clearly stated by Genet (1991) that teachers and schools administrators try to
influence female students by emphasizing their usefulness for domestic life which
reflects their negative perception of girls as they are unfit for different level of education.
Therefore, in order to avoid this serious problem, the presence of female teacher can play
an important role in the learning process of female students. The presence should incite
females to continue their education. Their pressure can also motivate parents to send their
daughters to schools (World Bank, 1990).
To conclude, as many research findings have suggested that the attitude of teachers can
be described as patient, Calm, open, helpful, kind and clear in their teaching learning
process in order to motivate female students to learn and stay long at school. Otherwise,
if they don’t act in supportive ways particularly towards female students, female learners
will react negatively
16
Lack guidance and Counseling Service
The other factor that contributes for less participation rate of female students in the
secondary school is the absence of guidance and counseling service. Most of the
secondary school students are found at the range of 15 and 17 years old (UNESCO,
1987). And this is the time that female students should have school guidance and
counseling service before their involving in various problems such as social, physical,
psychological and so forth since they are at the sensitive period of adolescence.
They may also face mental problems; emotional problems and psychological turmoil like
frustration, inferiority and superiority complexes, anxiety and tension. Besides this,
particularly, secondary school girls might face extra problems not necessarily faced by
their male counterparts such as early marriage, un-programmed pregnancy and illegal
abortion that could mostly affect participation of female students too.
Therefore, the presence of guidance and counseling of the schools should play a major
role in reducing factors affecting participation rates of female students in the secondary
school.
So, as Garman and Brwon (1989) have suggested the presence of guidance and
counseling service in the secondary schools is highly imperative for better participation
of female students.
Furthermore, Ediger (1987) notes that the student who loses interest in school missed
classes frequently. This shows tardiness in school is extremely quarrel some and
aggressive that indicates violent behavior on the playground and the like. Hence, there
has to be trained guidance and counseling service in the school so as to reduce the
educational obstacles of female – students in secondary schools.
Besides this, many researchers’ findings have also indicated that females who are
learning in secondary schools are suffering in different problems. Some of them are
economic problems, personal problems, heterosexual problems (such as not being ready
in dealing with male aggression, being victimized, virginity problems, being exposed to
all kinds of sexual transmitted disease like AIDS/HIV’s, lack of knowledge of
Contraceptives), communication problems with teachers, peer groups and so on. Hence,
the school guidance and counseling services are strongly important for secondary- school
female- students in order to make them aware about the problems as well as to find their
17
own solutions before the problems aggravate them to leave the schools. As Ballantine
(1993) pointed out that ‘the poor progress’ of student can be reduced by means of
properly organized guidance & counseling services with strong cooperation of school
principal as well as teachers.
Absence or Shortage of School Facilities
It is obvious that the absence or shortage of instructional materials might also affect the
effective teaching-learning process. This is clearly stated by Elleni (1995), Adane (1993)
and World Bank (1988), the scarcity of learning materials in the school has been the
serious epidemic problems to educational success for students particularly females-
students in developing countries. It is true that poor conditions of the school facilities
such as lack of furniture, the absence of separate latrines for girls in the school and so
forth discourage the learners themselves and parents in particular to send their daughter
to school.
Furthermore, Adane (1993) and Anderson (1994) underlined that inappropriate supply of
school in puts such as curriculum materials (textbook, teachers’ guides and syllabi)
libraries, laboratories, teaching-aids etc most probably affect the performance of the
learners. This is also true that the presence of crowded classroom may also influence the
teaching-learning process (King, 1993 and Befekadu, 1998). And finally, all those
discourage female students' learning interest and push them to give up their secondary
education.
According to Lockheed and Verspoor (1991), lack of the provision of instructional
materials and physical facilities of the schools can be a cause for affecting participation
of female students rather than male students in secondary schools.
To conclude, absence or shortages of school facilities are other factors affecting
participation rate of female-students in the secondary schools that lead them to leave their
education.
18
Repetition
Many researches’ results indicate that grade repetition can be associated with
participation of students (Lockheed, 1993; Genet, 1991; Anbesu, 1992 and Tilaye 1997).
Those researchers also stated that in most developing countries including Ethiopia,
passing from one grade level to the next grade level is based on a successful completion
of rigid examination procedures that will be decided by the academic committee or by the
whole staff members of the schools. In such condition, students who have strongly less
participation may repeat once or twice or more than this in the same class or school might
dismiss them by their own decision form the school.
As Anbesu (1995) points out, the females’ participation and performance in Education in
Uganda is at a lower level as compared to boys. In this regard, some of the crucial
problems in which girls are facing presently are:
- More girls repeat classes than boys,
- The drop-out percentage of girls is greater than boys and,
- Most girls perform less than boys in nearly all subject areas at every grade level.
This is also supported by the research results of Aster, Tesfaye and Menna that the
number of repeaters & dropouts is higher among girls than boys that indicate low
participation of girls clearly.
The other main reason that affects participation of females' education is parents’ demand
for the labour of their daughters in the household duties. In addition to this, Assefa (1991)
indicates that some of the main reasons for higher repetition of girls than boys were poor
method of teaching on the part of teachers, lack of convenient study areas particularly in
rural areas, early marriage and the like. Generally, all the mentioned points in the above
aggravate females to reduce their educational participation and to withdraw from their
secondary schools.
Besides this, the researchers (Dereje’ and Derese, 1997) suggest that female students’
grade repetition is partly due to violent attack on the way from home to school find that
more than 40 percent of female students in Addis Ababa reported that they had repeated
classes due to violence. Almaz (1991) also elaborated that overwhelming majority of the
crime represent various forms of sexual harassment such as rape an expensive act as
insulting the
19
Modesty of girls. All these problems may lead them total quitting of the school.
Absenteeism
Many educational educators like Brookover (1982) and Porwell (1977) reveal that regular
attendance is one of the most important factors that contribute for successful achievement
of education in the teaching learning process. This is why that Garman and Brown (1989)
points out those students who are frequently absent from school will not be successful in
their education rather than they are going to strengthen the way to leave their education.
This is true since absenteeism is one of the disciplinary problems that are strongly
associated with withdrawn of female students. And it is also true that more absenteeism
of the female students is one of the factors affecting girls’ educational participation in
secondary schools that also lead them failure and leave schooling.
The famous educators, Garman and Brown (1989), have precisely stated that the more
children miss the school, the less they learn; the less they learn, the lower their grades and
finally the greater the possibility they will be failed. This statement reveals vividly that
frequent absenteeism is highly associated with poor achievement of education that leads
the learners particularly females to leave schooling.
It is also said that school absenteeism is more common for females rather than males
since as many research findings indicate that school girls miss schools more often than
boys due to their entire responsible for house hold chores, child rearing and the like
(Merga, 1999). In line with this, UNESCO (1986) supports those girls in most cases
experience frequent school absenteeism because they are forced to fetch water and
firewood, to clean the house, to take care of the younger children and so forth.
To sum up, the researchers believe that the other cause of the less participation of
females' students in secondary school is high absenteeism from the schools (Assefa, 1991
and Yelfign, 1995).
20
Out – of- School factors
Marriage and Pregnancy
As many research studies show, the pregnancy of female students may come due to legal
or illegal marriage. Whatever the incident, the pregnancy of females may occur
accidentally or consciously too. Concerning marriage, Dirirsa (1993) notes that parents
arrange marriage for their daughters at the right after the child-hood or even during
infancy. He added that in Bangladesh, for instance, girls engage in marriage at the age of
40 days and go to the house of their father-in-law at the age of seven when they are
supported to go to primary school.
While in Ethiopia, as the study of Dirirsa (1993) & Almaz (1991) indicate that 43 percent
of the girls were married between 11 and 15 years of age and about 7 percent were
married at the age of 10 or being younger. Regarding the outlook of many researchers,
such early marriage brings forward not only the time of motherhood but also hinder their
education. To make it clear, (UNESCO, 1983) the research done in Ghana proved that the
more early marriage, the less participation of females in the school would be observed.
So, the other main reason that contributes for less participation of girls in secondary
school is their unprogrammed pregnancy. A study made by Genet (1991) also shows that
in the opinions of the majority of secondary school teachers, in Addis Ababa, unintended
pregnancy is the sever case for influencing girls’ educational participation. In fearing of
such situation, parents do not support their daughter to go to school. This is also
supported by the study of Youri (1993) that indicates (in Kenea) that the pregnant girls
are more at the risk of death and illness for adolescent mother and child than the girls
who do not marry. As it is also revealed by Odaga (1995), the study of school girls’
pregnancy in Kenea estimates that an annual average of approximately 10, 400 girls leave
school due to their pregnancy.
To sum up, as plenty of studies reveal, girls pregnancy is one of the main factors,
especially in developing countries like Africa including Uganda that affect the
participation of female students in the high schools.
21
Lack of Supporters
As many research studies have indicated, the economic status of the guardians or parents
of female student plays very significant role in their academic performance of the school.
That means the lower the economic status of parents; the higher is the price of schooling
that hinders the persistence of children at school (Anderson, 1992 and Maglad, 1994).
The low economic background of the family or guardians will mostly lead to poor
academic achievement of females since parents favor sons whenever conditions force a
choice for whose schooling they should pay (Eisemon, 1997and Stromquist, 1997).
Besides this, a study made by Deghe (1985), in Indonesia, shows that parents prefer to
provide males to females in schooling whenever they could not afford schools costs for
both sexes.
Furthermore, as Assefaw & Menna (1995) point out, it is incontrovertible facts that live
in a male chauvinistic society. Our media and information technology are full of sexist
biases and demeaning portrayals of women. Men are picture as superior and important;
whereas women are identified with anything that is inferior that needs to be shamed.
According to different writers such as Chamie (1983), Genet (1991) and others, family
opposition to secondary education is much greater than primary education for the direct
costs are higher and the girls are already of marriageable age. Traditionally speaking,
Ugandan women have been forced out of the educational opportunities, careers and
participatory
Social roles (Assefaw & Menna, 1995).
Besides this, as Lockheed & Verspoor (1991) also support it, if parents are not interested
in supporting their daughters to learn, they do not support academic learning at home.
Due to this, girls become less and less participant in their educational activities and
finally they will be forced to leave schooling at the end. Hence, lack of proper supporters
is also one of the main factors affecting females’ educational performance that lead them
to give up their education from secondary schools.
Therefore, as Assefaw and Menna (1995) noted that policy makers, educationalists and
planners should realize and follow the time less truth saying, “educating a man is
educating an individual while educating a woman is educating a nation” in order to
improve the educational participation of females.
22
Educational Background of Parents
A lot of research studies have shown that the educational background of parents play a
deceive role for their daughters successful teaching-learning process. As the research
findings of Merga (1999) notes, parents’ educational background can be clear
determinant of female students’ educational achievement. Since educated parents, as
King & Hell, (1993) and Akinkugbe (1994) pointed out, may have a more enlightened
attitude about female education, or provide a more stimulating environment for education
of their daughters than uneducated parents. While uneducated parents who do not have
good understanding about the use of education that will motivate their daughters to marry
rather than to learn (Quasim,
1983).
Furthermore, many educators or researchers believe that father’ and mothers’ educational
background affect females’ education differently. As Chervichovsky and Measook (1985)
noted mothers’ literacy does not affect as much as fathers’ literacy affect daughters to
attend schooling. In line with this, this indicates that fathers’ education has greater
influence than mothers’ education since husbands have upper hand in making all
decisions in the family. It is, however, stated by many scholars that mothers’ schooling
has key influence on the participation of daughters. Then, it seems safer to take the view
that parents’ literacy contributes to motivate girls’ education. Since there are few mother
educators in developing countries, majorities of mother do not motivate their daughters to
schooling. Therefore, it is possible to say that educational background of most African
parents including Ethiopia is poor. So, due to unknowing the use of education, they do
not motivate their daughters to learn than they demand to use their labour. This is clearly
stated by Mcweency & Maria (1980) and Mbilinyi (1969) by saying that the parents need
of their daughters with household chores at home is other serious obstacle of schools’
participation of female students in the secondary school.
As many educators have found if the educational background of the parents is very well,
their job position may also be well. Then, the well position of the parents indicates that
they may have good economical background. So, such parents who have good
economical background may help their daughters to continue their education. Otherwise,
parents who are illiterate and have poor economic background might affect their
23
daughters’ educational participation such as not being voluntary to help them. That is
why Wanna and Tsion (1994) also suggested that females’ education is strongly affected
by parents who are illiterate than literate.
Disintegration or Breakdown of Family
Many researchers have argued that the structural situation of the family has strongly
affected the learning situation of females. As Brimer and Pauli (1971) pointed out, the
disunity of the family in different cases such as death, divorce or distance, work etc. is
the other additional factors that affect the female students’ participation in the secondary
schools. This implies that the disunity of the children’s family influence their strong
positive feeling towards educational achievement by creating tension and instability in
their life situation.
Furthermore, as Ediger (1987) states that the breakdown of the school-age girls' family
will lead them to poor achievement of education which contributes for their grade
repetition, and finally withdraw from school (Kurdek and Sinclair, 1988).
Besides the above statements, Stow and Selfe (1989) also suggested, school girls who
have divorced parents are more victim of education than boys since they will be exposed
to the burden of housework taking their studying time of education. It is also clearly
noted that girls who are living with their stepmother or stepfather are more influenced
than boys in academic performance are. This is the reason that most girls who are living
with their mother and father will be more successful in their education while others will
not be successful rather than they are going to be forced to leave schooling.
To sum up, the unsuitable family circumstances due to death, divorce, quarrel, etc are the
most sever factors affecting participation of females’ Secondary education (Tadesse,
1974).
Shortage of Studying Time at Home
Various researchers argue that girls have spent more of their time in helping family’s
work than boys have. Besides, Assefaw and Menna (1995) also suggested, most girls,
particularly who live in the rural areas, have spent their time out of educational activities.
For instance, child bearing and rearing, fetching fire wood, drawing water, grinding
24
cereals, cooking food, preparing manure of fuel, taking care of domestic animals,
managing the family, weeding, harvesting crops and the like are the most common ones.
On the other hand, girls who live in urban areas use more of their time in typing,
telephone operation, nursing and so forth rather than studying their education.
Besides, Daniel (1995), Rhoodie, (1989) & Seyoum (1989) also added that rural girls are
more involved in household chores than urban girls relatively.
Due to this, Khandker (1996) and Barbara suggest that female students’ have mostly bad
result of academic performance for they did not study their secondary education, as they
want, as they like at home due to shortage of time. And finally, these poor academic
performances lead them to leave their education before completing the cycle.
The other factors that consume girls' time is that they are mostly considered as a means of
income generators like pretty-trading activities. As Anbesu (1992) and Genet (1991)
noted that the condition in Ethiopia that the maximum share of domestic work is
shouldered by girls that expose them at a risk of higher affecting participation rate of
education. According to Almaz (1991), girls are more likely to be included in marketing
tasks like preparing ‘Arekie’, ‘Tella’, ‘Teji’ and other local activities in order to ensure
household survival by raising money.
To conclude, girls are mostly exposed to help their family’s home activities. Due to this,
they have mostly shortage of time to study. This situation contributes to females having
poor academic participation and performance that lead them to withdraw their secondary
schools before completing grade twelve.
25
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This section highlights on the research design that was used in the case study proposed
data analysis methods, procedure for data collection, research instruments, sample size
and population of the study.
Research design
The study used a descriptive survey research in which both qualitative and quantitative
methods will be employed.
The study will use a descriptive survey research design because it is a method of
investigation in which self-report data collection from samples of pre-determined
interests can be done. Besides a descriptive survey research design reduces the absence
observed and easily describes every phenomenon under the study.
Population of the study
The study population consisted of primary schools in Mbarara district. For case of school,
only females were selected for the study.
This was because such categories of people are expected what causing high cases of
female dropouts. From primary schools for example pupils experiencing such cases
themselves, parents also may be knowledgeable to provide information. All was expected
to provide the researcher with reliable data.
Sample selection method and size
Section of schools
Simple random sampling method was used; five primary schools were selected in
Mbarara district for the study. All the primary school names in Mbarara district was
written on small pieces of paper, folded, and put in a container and mixed up ,five papers
26
was selected at random without replacement. The picked papers were the ones from with
the study were be conducted from.
Selection of respondents
Five directors and80teachers corresponding to the number of schools was purposely
selected for the study, whose students could fill the questionnaire adequately and where
the rates of female dropouts was high, the study used systematic random sampling.
73 parents, selected for the study using simple random sampling, 238respondents was
used in the study.
Research Instruments
Written documents
Through the study exercise the researcher made attempts to make a review of the relevant
written documents about subject (causes of female dropouts in primary schools) the
written documents will consist of school records, text books, publication journals, reports
presented at conferences, internet, government documents and microfilm. This technique
is preferred because of its ability to provide supplementary information and flexibility
which helped in producing descriptive information as kayemba Benon (2000) explained
Questionnaires
Self-administered questionnaires was constructed Mwesigwa H. (1993) explained that
questionnaires are preferred in the study because they give respondents complete freedom
of response and are applicable even to the uneducated.
Interview guide
Interviews were administered to the parents using an interview. The case study used an
interview guide because this because l curtained a general plan that the inter viewer
followed. Leotic (2008) in students military and University management explained unlike
in questionnaires do not give explanations. Here face-to-face questions were asked and
comments made to meet the objectives of the study.
27
Observation
It was the primary technique of collecting data on non-verbal behaviour although it most
commonly involves insight or visual data. Collection Benon (2000) explains that here the
researcher uses his naked eyes to observe supplementary phenomenon as regards the
situation and activities in Mbarara district
Sampling procedure
The researcher was given an introduction letter from the school of lifelong learning,
department of Distance education, Makerere University; which was presented to the CAO
and letter also was prepared by the CAO to head teachers of the selected schools
requesting for permission to carry out research in their schools. He then proceeded to the
other respondents to make appointments to start distributing questionnaire and
conducting interviews immediately. Appointments were made with the selected
respondents to allow them select their own convenient time of participating in the study
exercise.
Data analysis method
The responses of the subjects was categorized in frequency counts and score tables, , wi
varying percentages calculated interpretations and drawing conclusions was done in
accordance with number of each item.
For the case of qualitative data, field notes was written and work edited at the end of each
working day to ensure accuracy in recording consistency information given from the
respondents.
28
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATIONS ANALYSIS OF THE DATA AND DISCUSSIONS
This Chapter has two main sections. The first section discusses the background, data
sources that involve students, parents, teachers and secondary schools’ directors. In the
second section, the data are presented and analyzed; and the findings are also interpreted
and discussed in relation to the research questions.
Description of the Respondents
As it is already mentioned earlier, four groups of respondents were used as data sources
for the study (i.e. female ex-students, parents, teachers and secondary schools’ directors).
Background of Female Ex-students’ Respondents
As it was previously stated, one of the main data sources of the study was female students
who left their secondary education before completing secondary school cycles (grades 9-
12) in Mbarara District. So, some of the characteristics of female students who were
respondents to the interview question are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Characteristics of female ex-students' respondents of the interview questions.
Grades No. of respondents
# %
9 52 65
10 24 30
11 4 5
Total 80 100
# = Number of respondents
As it can be seen in Table 1, out of 80 female students' respondents, more than half of
them (65 %) were grade 9 students. While 5 % and 30 % of them were grades 11 and 10
29
students respectively. This implies that the majority of sample secondary school-leavers
were grade 9 students who were beginners of secondary education.
Concerning the age of the sample respondents, Table 2; shows the results.
Table 2: The ex-female students' respondents’ age background
Respondent Age in year s
Age in year Respondents
# %
Up to 16 21 26.25
17- 19 40 50.00
20-22 15 18.75
Above 22 4 5.00
Total 80 100
Among the interviewed students, 21 (26.25 percent), 40 (50 percent), 15 (18. 75 percent),
and 4 (5 percent) of them were up to 16, 27-19, 20-22, and above 22 years old
respectively. The majority of interviewed female students' ages are found in the interval
of 17-19 years that show 50 percent of the total sample respondents. This indicates the
common age range in most of Ethiopian secondary schools since the official age for
beginners of secondary school is 16 years old. Based on this point of view, by the time a
student reaches grade 12, she /he should be at least 19 years of age.
Secondary Schools Directors Respondents
The last types of respondents of the study were the five sample secondary schools’
Directors. Their qualifications and service years are presented in Table 3; below.
30
Table 3: The sample schools directors’ educational background and service years
Name of secondary
schools
Directors
Sex Service years Qualification
Male Female
Manah girls 1 - 11 B.SC.
Mbarara st Beniz 1 - 5 B.A.
Bujaga 1 - 10 B.A.
Mbarara progressive 1 - 12 B.A.
Mary Land Hill 1 - 11 B.A.
As it is presented in Table 3, the qualification of the sample schools’ directors is Bachelor
Degree. This indicates that the minimum requirement of qualification for secondary
school personnel is fulfilled. While regarding sex, all of sample schools administrators
like teachers are males. And the service years of all directors are above four and below
thirteen. So, the absence of female personnel may discourage the interest of female
students’ educational participation.
Major Factors Affecting Participation of Female Students in Secondary SchoolsAs many researches’ finds have found, there are various factors that influence female
students' educational participation in secondary schools. But these factors may differ
from distrct to districts. In this section, however, some of major factors (out-of- school
and school related) would be presented and discussed hereunder.
School Related Factors Distance from School to Home
The study has observed some of major factors affecting female-students secondary
education before completing the four years cycles of secondary schools. In line with this,
31
distance from home to school could be seen as one factor that influences the participation
of female students' education in secondary schools in Mbarara district.
Table 4: Female school leavers' respondents whether they reached at school on time or not during their presence in the school.
Interview item Girls' response Total
Yes No Yes No
# % # % # %
Did you arrive at school on time? 33 41.25 47 58.75 80 100
As it is clearly seen in Table 4, majority of the respondents; that is, 47 (58.75 percent) of
them agreed that they did not reach on time in the school due to the distance from home
to school. This implies that female students did not attend some subjects that would be
given in the first period of the session. As a result of this, the students might get poor
result on these subjects who led them to hate the subjects and at the end they would
decide to leave schooling. So, not reaching on time in the school (that is due to the
distance of the school from home) could be one of other factors those influence girls’
education. At the end it can be also the case for girls’ giving up their secondary
education.
Moreover, the response of the teachers, given in Table 4.8, supported the response of
female students too.
Table 5: Teachers’ response on the arrival of female students from home to school
Item Teachers' degree of agreement on the arrival of students
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
Total
# % # % # % # % # %
Not coming on time
from home to
school
17 21.25 45 56.25 18 22.5 80 100
32
According to Table 5; most of the teachers (45 or 56.25 percent) agreed that female
students did not reach on time from home to school while 17 (21.25 percent) and 18 (22.5
percent) of them suggested “strongly agreed” and “disagreed” respectively. Regarding
the teachers' agreement on the arrival of female students to school, it is possible to say
that not coming on time to school can be also the other factors affecting participation of
females in the secondary schools.
Furthermore, female students who gave up their education before completing grade 12
were also asked in interview if they had any problem during their journey from home to
school.
Most of them have given the following responses that were very serious underlined
problems during their journey.
1. Lack of transportation from home to school.
2. Lack of bridge to cross the river.
3. Forced by males for sexual intercourse.
4. Unable to go to school due to the hotness of climatic condition of the environment.
Table 6: Female ex-students state the table given below the degree of the problems from the heaviest ones to the easiest.
Response item Respondents
# %
Hotness of climatic condition 68 85.0
Lack of transportation 60 75.0
Lack of bridge to cross the river 20 25.0
Forced by male students for sexual intercourse 10 12.5
As it can be seen in Table 6 most of female school leavers (85 percent) mentioned the
hotness of the environmental climate as one of the serious problems, specially for the
students who were living in other places, to go from home to school. On the other hand,
75 percent of girls said lack of transportation is another factor that influenced them
33
during their walking from home to school. The rest, actually few in number, 25 percent
and 12.5 percent of them mentioned lack of bridge to cross the river and forced by male
students for sexual intercourse were also other obstacles which affected them during their
going from home to school respectively.
Generally speaking, the above points were the most common ones that forced females to
be less achiever in their secondary education directly or indirect
Shortage of School FacilitiesThe study has made somewhat clear identification about educational facilities and
services since they are decisive factors for girls' learning activities and the most important
means through which their educational objectives are made fruitful. The sample female
school leavers who were asked in interview about the availability of school facilities
during their presence in the school gave the following responses
Table 7: Female school leavers’ response about the availability of school facilities
Item Schools leavers
Yes No
# % # %
We’re teaching facilities such as textbooks, library,
laboratory, latrine and the like available in your school?
20 25 60 75
As it can be seen from Table 7, majority of the interviewed female ex-students (75% of
them) of secondary schools said that teaching facilities were not available in their schools
while only 25 percent of them mentioned the availability of teaching facilities. This
implies as many research findings such as Curle (1973) and World Bank (1988) has
shown that the absences of teaching facilities were also the causes for the influence of
females’ educational participation in secondary schools.
34
Besides the female school leavers, their parents were also asked in an interview if they
bought instructional materials to their daughters properly. Among the interviewed
parents, 29
(39.7 percent) of them said 'Yes ' while the rest 44 (60.3 percent) said ' No '. As the
parents' response indicates, most of females' parents did not provide necessary
instructional materials to their daughters. Besides, only the parents who said 'No' were
asked why they did not provide instructional materials to their daughters. Among these,
about 23 (52 percent) of them responded that they had shortage of money to buy the
instructional materials while the rest 17 (48 percent) of the suggested as they were not
asked by their daughters. The responses of female ex-students and parents indicate that
the learners had shortage of instructional materials their during presence in the school.
Besides female ex-students and their parents, the sample teachers were also asked to sign
their agreement on the factors that influence girls’ educational participation and their
contribution for the female students’ less participation in their secondary education as it
is shown in the table below.
Table 8: Teachers’ response on lack of school facilities to secondary schools' learners
Item Teachers' response
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
Total
# % # % # % # % # %
Lack of school
facilities such as
library, textbooks,
chairs etc.
37 46.3 23 28.8 9 11.3 11 13.8 80 100
As Table 8; shows, less number of teachers believed that lack of school facilities is one of
the factors that affect girls' secondary education. Besides this, out of the total sample
35
teachers, 37 (46.3 percent) and 23 (28.75 percent) of them “strongly agreed” and
“agreed” on the absence of school facilities respectively. On the other hand, 9 (11.3
percent) and 11 (13.8 percent) sample teachers chose ‘disagree’ and ‘strongly disagree’
respectively. So, the responses of sample female ex-students, teachers as well as parents
indicate that shortages of school facilities are also the factors that influenced female -
students' participation of secondary education.
As it was also seen during document inspection and observation of the school
environment, all sample secondary schools do not have latrines built in the suitable way
for the school communities. For instance, among the sample secondary schools, only, M
anahSecondary School has students’ and teachers' latrines separately. The latrine
of students has also two sections, one for male students and other for female students. But
female and male teachers’ latrine rooms are present in the same section. The rest, 4 (80
percent) of secondary schools have the same latrine rooms for all school communities.
Besides the document observation, the interviewed students as well as parents suggested
that the absence of independent latrine for females might also be other factor that affects
the participation of female students in the secondary schools.
Generally speaking, the situation was very grave regarding the supply of textbooks,
library, toilet and the like as it is indicated in Table 7 and 8. Therefore, according to the
data revealed in the above, inadequate supply of instructional materials and toilet are
affecting female education in secondary schools. Particularly, due to the absence of
instructional materials, female students could not do class work, homework, and
assignment notes and so forth in order to cover the portions of the subjects. Finally, in
such reasons, female students might become bored and disappointed in schooling and at
the end they might decide to leave their secondary education. This is also confirmed by
many researches’ findings such as Tadesse (1974) that can significantly discourage
female students’ learning and their participation in school as well as motivates them to
leave their education.
36
Lack of School guidance and CounselingIt is obvious that the presence of school guidance and counseling plays significant roles
for effective teaching learning process. It is very important especially for secondary
school girls since they are at the stage of adolescents who face a number of problems
such as social, economic, academic, and personal and the like. However, although
guidance and counseling service for female students is essential, sample secondary
schools of the study except Manah
Secondary School does not have guidance and counseling service as the document
inspection form indicates.
Table 9: Teachers’ response on the influence of the absence of guidance and
counseling for educational participation of female in secondary schools
Item Teachers' responseStrongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total
# % # % # % # % # %
Lack of school guidance
and counseling.
17 21.3 46 57.5 10 12.5 7 8.5 80 100
As it can be observed in Table 9, out of the sample teachers, 17 (21.3 percent) and 46
(57.5 percent) of them ‘strongly agreed ' and 'agree' respectively on the influence of the
absence of guidance and counseling on females’ education. The others 10 (12.5percent)
and 8 (8.8 percent) of them ‘disagreed’ and ‘strongly disagreed’ for the contribution of
lack of guidance and counseling for female school leavers respectively. According to the
above data, majorities of teachers believe that the absence of school guidance and
counseling aggravate quitting of female students from secondary schools. That is why
many researches’ findings such as Ediger (1987) and Asmerom,. (1989) have shown that
the presence of guidance and counseling minimized the rate of school leavers, in
particular females.
Furthermore, as the document inspection indicates, out of the five sample secondary
schools, only Manah girls Secondary School (20 percent) has guidance and counselors.
37
And the rest four-sample secondary schools (80 percent of them) do not have school
guidance and counseling. This indicates that most of school-aged girls did not and/or do
not get school guidance and counseling services which helped them solve some problems
and motivate them in order to continue their education properly. So, the absence of
school counselors could be the reasons that affect girls’ secondary educational
participation that led them to withdraw their secondary education.
Teachers’ Treatment on Female StudentsBesides the availability of instructional materials and school guidance and counseling
service, teachers' treatment of female students also plays significant roles in their
participation of education. Regarding this, the response of teachers, school administrators
and female ex-students for the question “Did teachers treat female students equally with
their counterparts in the
teaching-learning process?” is given in Table 9.
Table 10: School-administrators, teachers and female ex-students' responses about
teachers’ treatment on schoolgirls during teaching- learning process
Respondents The given response
Yes No Total
# % # % # %
Female students 15 18.8 65 81.3 80 48.5
School personnel 2 40 3 60 5 3.0
Teachers 46 57.5 34 42.5 80 48.5
Total 63 38.2 102 61.8 165 100
As it can be seen in Table 10, most of the interviewed female ex-students (81.25 percent)
responded that their subject teachers did not treat them as equal as their counter parts.
But only 18.75 percent of the sample them suggested that they were treated in the same
way as their counter-parts during the teaching -learning process.
38
Besides the response of female ex-students, among the interviewed directors, 60 percent
of them said that teachers did not treat female and male students equally during the
teaching learning process. . On the other hand, among the sample teachers of the study,
57.5percent of them respond as they treated both female and male students equally. On
the contrary, 42.5 percent they answered that they do not treat female students as equal as
they are treating male students.
Furthermore, the sample teachers and school personnel were also asked if the school has
a special program (i.e. compensatory remedial assistance or tutorial classes and the like)
that helps to motivate female students in the teaching-learning process. Majority of the
directors (4 or 80 %) and teachers (64 or 80 %) responded that the school did not and /or
do not have special program for girls so as to motivate or help them towards teaching-
learning process. But only 1
(20 percent) and 16 (20 percent) school directors and teachers responded that they have
special program for girls respectively.
Hence, based on the given response, this indicates that lack of motivation is also other
cause that forced girls to be less participant of education. Finally, this forces them to
decide leaving their secondary education before completing the four years cycles of
secondary school.
In line with this, the directors who said 'No' special grogram for female students was also
asked further question to explain the reasons that the schools do not have the special
program. They suggested the following reasons:
Table 11: Responses of the directors about the reasons that the schools do not have special or compulsory classes for girls
Reasons Respondents
39
# %
Due to hotness of the environmental climate, the teachers as well as female
students are not interested to come back to school in the afternoon
4 100
Due to crowed of home activities, most female students could n have free time to
come to school to take the tutorial classes
3 75
Parents do not allow their daughters to go back to school after the normal class 4 100
Due to the long distance e of the school from home to school, they do not want to
come back to school
2 50
Most of them are not devoted to learn 3 75
As Table 11 indicates, 100 %, 75%, 100%, 50% and 75% of secondary school directors
suggested that the schools do not have special or compulsory classes for females due the
hotness of the climate, girls’ lack of time to come back to schools, Parents’ disagreement
to send their daughters, distance of the school and lack of learners’ devotion to take the
compulsory classes respectively.
The directors were also interviewed if there is any committee that includes female
students as a member in the school. Among the interviewed directors, 80 percent of them
said that 'Yes' while only 20 percent of them said 'No'. These who said ' Yes' were also
asked further question in order to explain the name of committee that female students are
involved. Then, they gave the following.
40
Table 12: the directors’ responses on females’ participation in different clubs
Number Name of clubs of respondents Respondents
# %
AIDS 4 100
Environmental protection 2 50
Mini-media 2 50
Student counsel 1 25
Re-cross 3 75
Sport 2 50
According to Table 12, all of the secondary schools’ directors suggested the females are
actively participating as a committee member in the AIDS club. The rest 50%, 50%,
25%,
75% and 50% of the directors also replied that girls are a committee member in
environmental protection, mini-media, student counselor, Red-cross and sport clubs
respectively.
According to the above response, the participation of female students in different clubs or
committee helped them to increase their interest and participation of education directly
and indirectly however it did not show significance behavioral change on them.
Furthermore, the sample teachers were asked to identify the types of tasks, given in the
table below, by which they are mostly done in the secondary schools.
41
Table 13: Teachers’ evaluation or identification of tasks by which they are mostly done
Task items The given response
Female Both Total
# % # % # %
Cleaning classrooms 10 12.5 69 86.25 80 100
Cleaning school compound 4 5 71 88.75 80 100
Burning/ damping dry wastes 8 10 62 77.5 80 100
Fetching water 39 48.75 31 38.75 80 100
Boiling tea 52 65 18 22.5 80 100
Cleaning blackboards 3 3.75 24 30 80 100
Head of different clubs such as
mini- media, AIDS club etc.
13 16.25 20 25 80 100
Monitoring the class 2 2.5 19 23.75 80 100
As it can be seen in Table 13, about 48.75 and 65 percent of the sample teachers
suggested that female student’s do fetching water and boiling tea respectively. While
only 12.5 percent of them indicated that males also participate in the activity of fetching
water and boiling tea in the schools. On the other hand, 58.75 percent, 66.25 percent and
73.75 percent of teachers revealed that male students do as head of different clubs,
cleaning blackboard and monitoring class respectively. This indicates that the tasks
performed by the female students are related to works done in the home whereas for boys
most of the tasks are mostly related outside home activities. Furthermore, the tasks
performed by girls seem to take longer time than those of the boys do. For instance, it is
possible to compare fetching water done most dominantly by female students and
cleaning the blackboard by male students. Female students’ tasks in most cases seem not
only to take more time but also they tend to be heavier and tire-some duties. All these
may put females at a disadvantage in their learning.
42
Students were asked to mention the name of the subjects. And then, they suggested the
followings.
Table 14: Female ex-students response regarding the subjects.
Name of subjects Respondents# %
Mathematics 25 31.3Physics 18 22.5English 15 18.8Chemistry 9 11.3Biology 6 7.5Amharic 3 3.8All subjects 2 2.5History 1 1.3All are easy 1 1.3Total 80 100
As Table 14 indicates, about 31.3 %, 22.5% and 18.8 % of the female ex-students
mentioned that Mathematics, physics and English were difficult subjects for them. While
the rest, 11.3%, 7.5%, 3.8% and 1.8 % of them said that Chemistry, Biology, Amharic
and History were heavy respectively. About 2.5 % of the girls replied that all of the given
subjects were difficult. On the other hand, only a single student did not raise any subject
that was difficult for her.
Besides this, the sample teachers were also asked to give their own observation about the
academic performance of female school leavers regarding the subject they taught by
referring the school document or by using their own experience. Then, the following
table shows the obtained results.
43
Table 15: Teachers’ observation on the academic performance of female school leavers in high schools
Item Respondents# %
Very high 5 6.25
High 6 7.50
Average 21 26.25
Low 34 42.50
Very low 14 17.50
According to the Table 15, out of 80 sample teachers, 42.5 % of them suggested that
female school leavers' academic performance was ‘low’. On the other hand, 17.5% of
them suggested that female school leavers were ‘very low’ in their academic
performance. Only 5 (6.25 %) of teachers’ respondents indicated that the female school
leavers’ academic performance was ‘very high’ and 6 (7.5) of them said ‘high’ that
indicates the successful result of girls.
Teachers' responses, therefore, imply that their poor academic performance is one of
factors affecting participation of female education in secondary schools. Among sample
secondary school administrators, 6o percent of the school directors also suggested that
the school leavers of female students were weaker than that of female and male students
who are actually learning as the document inspection shows.
In addition, among the interviewed female school leavers who were asked if they
repeated in the last grade of their secondary education, 45 (56.25 %) of them said 'Yes'.
The rest, 35 (43.75 %) of them said ‘No’. Furthermore, female school leavers' parents
were also asked in interview whether their daughters who stopped their education before
completing secondary education (grades9-12) failed before or not. For this question in an
interview, 50 (68.5 %) and 23 (31.5%) of them said 'Yes ' and 'No' respectively. Next to
this question, only the parents who said 'Yes' was also asked to mention the grade she
failed. And they gave the following suggestions.
44
Table 16: Parents responses of the grade levels that their daughters repeated
Grade Responses # %
9 12 2410 3 611 2 4Do not remember the specific grade level
33 66
Total 50 100
Based on table 16, most of girls repeated in grade 9 while the lest ones was in grade
11. As it can be observed from the table, when the grade level increases, the number of
repeaters decreases. Among the interviewed parents, 66% of them did not remember or
know the grade levels of their daughters’ repetition. This implied that parents did not
follow up their daughters’ educational situation actively.
In addition to this, the other factor affecting participation of female education in
secondary schools is their passiveness in asking and answering questions during the
teaching198 learning process in the class. In line with this point, the sample teachers gave
the followings regarding females' participation in secondary education.
Table 17: Sample teachers’ evaluation on female students’ response in the teaching -learning process
Item Teachers' responsesStrongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total
# % # % # % # % # %
Not answering questions 29 36.25 26 32.5 21 26.25 4 5.0 80 100
Not asking questions 35 43.75 25 31.25 17 21.25 3 3.75 80 100Lack of confidence on their
education
25 31.25 32 40.0 19 23.75 4 5.0 80 100
Not paying attention to the
class.
16 20.0 36 45.0 27 33.75 1 1.25 80 100
45
As it can be seen in Table 17, out of 80 teachers respondents, 29 (36.25 %) and 35
(43.75%) of them 'strongly agreed ' that female students ‘did not answer’ and ‘ask
questions’ actively in class respectively. Similarly, 26(32.5%) and 25 (31.5%) of them
'agreed' on females students' passiveness in asking and answering questions during
teaching learning process respectively. The other 21 (26.25 %) and 17 (21.25 %) of them
answered 'disagree ' on female students ‘not asking’ and ‘not answering’ questions in
class actively. Besides this, among the respondents, 4 (5.0 %) of them strongly opposed
the idea given in the above.
ABSENTEEISM
Another serious factor, which was strongly tied with female school participation, was
girls' repeated absenteeism from school as it has been shown in the following table.
Table 18: Female school leavers' response regarding on their absenteeism in the last grade they attended during their presence in the school
Items:
Girls response
Females’ number of absent days'
1 -15 16-30 31-40 Above 41 Total
# % # % # % # % # %If you remained from the school in the
last grade you left, how many days
/weeds / months did you miss your
school approximately?
28 35 24 30 3 3.75 2 2.5 57 71.
3
As Table 18 shows, the majority of female school leavers were absent from schools.
Based on the table, 35 percent and 30 percent of girls suggested that they were absent
approximately from 1-15 and 16- 30 days from school respectively. On the other hand,
3.75 percent of girls had replied their absence about for a maximum of 31-40 days. 2.5
percent of them admitted their missing the class for 2 days. The rest 28.75 percent did not
remember the number of days they left or missed their class. Generally, more than half of
the school-leavers
(71.3 percent) admitted that they were repeatedly absent from school during the school
days.
46
Hence, the absence of female students for plenty of days from school or missing of a
large proportion of the lessons given in class lead them to have bad academic
performance that exposes them to repeat in the same section. So, being absent from
school repeatedly would also make them lose their interest of learning and finally reached
to bad decision of leaving their education.
To sum up, beside the above point, as many researchers’ findings have indicted,
continuous absenteeism is found to be associated with the factors affecting participation
rate of female education in secondary schools (Adjani, 1993). So, missing the learning
school days was one of the other factors that aggravated female-students to leave their
secondary education before completing the secondary school.
In addition to this, the female- school leavers' parents who were asked in the interview
also gave the following responses stated in the table below regarding their daughters'
absenteeism.
Table 19: Parents’ overview about their daughters' absenteeism form school
Item Parents' response
Yes No
# % # %
Did your daughter
sometimes remain
at home rather than
going to school?
52 71.2 21 28.8
As Table 19 has shown, majority of parents, that is. 71.2 percent of them admitted that
their daughters repeatedly remained at home rather than going to school. And 28.8
percent of parents answered their daughters followed their education continuously.
Furthermore, the parents who admitted the absence of their daughters from school gave
the following reasons for their daughters’ absence.
47
Table 20: Parents’ suggestions regarding the reasons of their daughters’ absence from schools
Reasons.Due to:
Responses # %
Household activities such as cleaning the house,
preparing food, fetching water and fire wood and so
forth
50 96.2
Sickness in malaria 52 100
Hotness of the environmental climate etc 51 98.1
According to table 20, 96.2%, 100% and 98.1% of the sample parents mentioned that
crowded home activities, attacking by malaria and the hotness of the environmental
climate are the main reasons for girls’ being absence from schools respectively.
To conclude, all these indicate that absenteeism is the other major factor affecting
participation of female students in secondary schools. Admitted they worked 4-6 hrs.
Works Per day respectively. While 15.07 percent of parents and 22.5 percent of female
students responded that they spent their time by working above 9 hours per a day. The
rests that are few in numbers revealed they had 1-3 worked hours per a day.
In general, as Table 20 shows, female-school leavers had spent most of their time by
doing out of their educational activities. This implies that they had shortage of studying /
reading time in their homes. Due to this, they couldn't do their home -work / assignment
& they couldn't read their exercise books and reference materials in their home. All these
lead them to have poor academic performance that could be one of the causes to
aggravate their leaving of secondary education.
Lack of Supporter and Motivation
As the findings of many studies such as Eisemon (1997), Levy (1971) etc, have shown
the economic status of parents or guardians plays a significant factor for female students'
educational participation in secondary schools. Based on this, the female ex-students who
were asked in an interview
48
Out of School Factors Affecting Participation of Females’ Education in Secondary
Schools
In this section, in addition to school-related factors, an attempt has also been made to
investigate the causes of female- school leavers, which emanate from outside of the
school system. The assumption revolved around the individual factor, family related
factors, social, economical and the like. In this part, therefore, an investigation is made to
present and discuss the major factors that influence participation of female education in
the secondary school in Mbarara District
Family Structure, Educational & Occupational
Background of Females Ex-students’ Parents
Family’s structure, educational and occupation backgrounds of female students’ parents
have a significant role on female education. As many researches’ findings have shown,
female students those have well family structure, educational backgrounds and
occupation have good opportunity to continue their education rather than others who do
not have.
So, the sample female-students were in the interview gave the following responses (Table
20) About their parents' characteristics.
Table 21: Female Ex-students’ responses about families and their structureItem Alternative Responses Respondents
# %Were your parents (mother &father) alive when you were in sec. School?
Yes 62 77.5No 18 22.5Total 80 100
If you say ‘No’, who died? Father 6 33.3Mother 5 27.8Both 7 38.9Total 18 100
If both alive, did they live together when you were in school? Yes 41 66.1No 21 33.9Total 62 100
With whom did you live when you were in school? With both mother &father 32 40.0With mother only 18 22.5With father only 4 5.0With my husband 7 8.75With brother 2 2.5With relatives 5 6.5With others 2 2.5Alone 10 12.5Total 80 100
49
As it is shown in Table 21, about 77.5 percent of female ex-students had their Parents
(both father and mother) who were alive when they were learning in the secondary
schools while 22.5 percent of girls had lost their parents. Among the respondents, 33.3 %
and 27.8% of them had lost their fathers and mothers respectively .The rest 38.9 percent
of them hadn’t lost both of their parents (father and mother). In line with this, 66.1
percent of their parents were alive together while 33.9 percent of their parents were
divorced. Among the interviewed girls, 40 percent of them lived with their biological
parents (father & mother). The rest 22.5 % of them were living with their mothers, 5
percent with their husbands, and 6.25 percent with their relatives, and 2.5 with their
brothers, 12.5 percent alone and 2.5 percent with others. Then, 60 percent of female ex-
students did not live with their both parents during their presence in the secondary
schools.
Furthermore, the findings of this study have shown that the structure of the family had a
considerable effect in affecting participation of female students in the secondary schools.
This is also confirmed by different researches’ results that the breakdown of family due
to divorce or death was other factors that affected the participation of female-students in
the secondary school
Then, death, separation and divorce are mostly the reasons that create serious emotional
discourage of school age-girls in the form of tension and anxiety in their life.
These could also be hindrances to female-students' attention in their learning process in
class.
Finally, as a result of their consequence, they might be forced to withdraw their
secondary education. Besides this, the female-students who lived with only one parent
(father or mother) and with others might be obliged to support the household chores
which could be other serious obstacle for missing schools repeatedly and make less
participate in their education.
Furthermore, the nature of the educational background of parents might be one of the
other decisive factors that encouraged or discouraged female-students success in their
education in the school. In this regard, Table 22 gives clear information hereunder.
50
Table 22: Educational Background of the interviewed girls’ parents
Educational background of parents
Father Mother TotalYes No
# % # % # %
Illiterate 33 41.25 46 57.50 79 49.38Read& write 16 20.00 9 11.25 25 15.63Primary 12 15.00 17 21.25 29 18.13
Secondary 10 12.50 7 8.75 17 10.63
College 9 11.25 1 1.25 10 6.25
Total 80 100 80 100 160 100
As it can be seen in Table 22, about 41.25 and 57.5 percent of fathers and mothers of
female secondary school leavers were illiterate respectively that covers the majority
educational background of the interviewed parents. And 20 percent & 11.25 percent of
their father and mother could read and write and 15 percent and 21 .25 percent of father
and mother had primary educational backgrounds respectively. The rest 12.5 percent,
11.25 percent of their fathers and
8.75 percent and 1.25 percent of their mothers had secondary and college educational
levels.
In general, the majorities (49.38 percent) of female ex-students’ parents were illiterate
while very minor number of their parents (10.63 and 6.25 percent) had secondary and
college educational background.
Table 23: Parents’ occupational background
Occupation RespondentsFather Mother Total# % # % # %
Farmer 27 36.99 13 17.81 40 54.79
Gov. Employee 11 15.07 4 5.48 15 20.55
NGO employee 4 5.48 1 1.37 5 6.85Other (housemaid etc. 3 4.11 10 13.7 13 17.81
Total 45 61.64 28 38.36 73 100
51
As it has shown in Table 23, about 36.99 and 17.81 percent of male and female parents’
farmers respectively. Only 15.07 percent of males and 5.48 percent of females had
government
Employment while the rest, 5.48 and 1.37 percent of male and female parents were
working in NGO respectively. The rest 4.11 percent of male parents and 13.7 percent of
female parents had other occupation like daily laborer, house-made etc.
In general, the majority-interviewed parents' occupations (54.79 percent) were farming
that implies most of female secondary school leavers were from the peasant families.
MARRIAGE AND PREGNANCY
The other serious factors that can affect participation of female-students in the secondary
schools are unprogrammed marriage and pregnancy before completing their secondary
education (grades 9-12). So, an attempt is made to investigate their effects on influencing
female students’ educational activities. The responses given by the respondents are stated
in the table below.
Table 24; Female ex-students, parents and directors’ responses for the questions about school age-girls' marriage and pregnancy before completing their secondary schools
Reasons given by parents, female-students and school personnel
RespondentsFemale ex-students
Parents Directors Total
# % # % # % # %Marriage was one of the serious factors aggravating female students to leave their secondary schooling
50 62.5 50 68.5 5 100 105 66.5
Un-programmed school pregnancy is other common cause for females' discontinuing their secondary education before completing grades
45 56.3 60 82.2 5 100 110 69.6
Parents' considering females' marriage as a source of income paid as bride price by daughters' husbands is other sever factor that forced them to leave schooling from secondary schools.
48 60.0 63 86.38 4 80 115 72.8
52
As it is observed in Table 24, out of 80, 50 (62.5 percent), out of 73, 50 (68.5 percent)
and out of 5, 5(100percent) of the interviewed female students, parents and directors
revealed that marriage is one of the serious factors affect educational participation of
female students respectively. In addition to this, 56.3 percent of students, 82.2 percent of
parent and 100 percent of directors had stated that un-programmed school pregnancy is
another common cause for females' less educational participation that also lead them to
withdraw their schooling from secondary school. Furthermore, 60 percent of female
students, 86.3 percent of parents and 80 percent of directors mentioned that the presence
of payment as bride price to girls' family by their husbands' during the wedding ceremony
is also other reason which affects females' educational participation in secondary schools.
This implies that girls' parents prefer their daughters to marry to learn in the secondary
school.
In line with this, parents of female school leavers were also asked in the interview what
they feel about their daughters who left their education before completing the secondary
cycle.
Most of them gave the following responses.
1. I agreed on my daughter's giving up education from secondary school since marriage
is better than learning.
2. I agree on her giving up education since she had to help her mother's home activities
such as fetching water and firewood, caring young child etc.
3. Further education is not necessary for girls rather than boys and
4. Since I had low monthly income, she had to work income generating activities rather
than learning.
In line with this, the sample female-school leaves were also asked about their marital
status during their presence in the school. The responses are stated in table 4.29.
53
Table 25: Sample female students' marital status
Item Alternative Female
responses
# %How was your marital status during your presence in the
school?
Married 50 62.5
Unmarried 30 37.5
Divorce 5 10.0
Total 80 *100
Who made the decision or agreement of your
marriage
Father 6 12.0
Mother 2 4.0
Both parents 25 50.0
By myself 17 34.0
Total 50 100
Did you have child when you were Yes 35 43.75
student
Yes 35 43.7
No 45 56.25
Total 80 100
As the Table 25 shows, among the interviewed female students, 62.5 percent of them
were married. From the married ones, 10 percent of girls were divorced. While the rest,
only 37.5 percent of them were unmarried ones.
Besides this, the female ex-students were also asked if they had child while they were
students of secondary school. Based on this, 43.75 percent of them said 'Yes ', but the rest
56.25 percent of females said 'No'. In general, as the marital statuses of sample female-
students indicate that most of them were married while they were learning. So, this
implies that marriage and having a child were other factors that could affect their
participation of education in the secondary school and at the end, lead them to leave
schooling. Female-school leavers' parents were also asked about their daughter marital
status and they gave the following responses.
54
Table 26: Parents’ responses on their daughters’ marital status
Item Parents' response
Yes No
# % # %
Did your daughter marry when she was a student? 40 54.8 33 45.2
Did she have a child when she was learning in the secondary school? 32 43.8 41 56.2
As it is observed in Table 26 the response of parents regarding the marital status of their
daughters is almost similar with the response given by the female ex-students themselves.
That is 54.8 percent of parents admitted that their daughters were married. Besides this,
about
43.8 percent of them also replied that they had child when they were learning in the
secondary schools.
The response of female- students and parents in Table 4.33 and 4.34 imply that most of
female students were victims of early marriage. The female-students (the married ones)
were also asked to mention the one/s that made a decision on their marriage. In line with
this, 12 percent, 4 percent, 50 percent, 34 percent of them said that the decision could be
made by 'father', by mother', by 'both parents (father & mother) and by ' the students
themselves ' respectively. This indicates that most of girls' marriage decision is made by
their parents. It also implies that a large number of parents motivate their daughters for
early marriage rather than continuing their education. So, marriage interrupts girls'
participation of secondary education as many research findings such as Zenebwork
(1976) have shown. Due to the pressure marriage, a large number of girls were exposed
to premature school leaving from secondary schools.
Furthermore, the secondary school teachers who answered the questionnaire gave the
following degree of agreement regarding female-students' marriage and un-programmed
pregnancy.
55
Table 27: Teachers’ evaluation about the influence of marriage and pregnancy on female students
Items
Teachers' Response
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Total
# % # % # % % # % #Early marriage 43 53.8 27 33.8 6 7.5 4 5 80 100
UNprogrammed pregnancy 31 38.8 38 47.5 11 13.8 - - 80 100
As Table 27 has shown, the majority of teachers (53.75 percent) 'strongly agreed' that
early marriage is one of the factors that contributed for girls' less participation in
education.
Similarly, around 47.5 percent of them said ‘Agree' that 'un-programmed pregnancy' is
also other factor that influenced the female educational participation. On the other hand,
38.75 percent of teachers 'strongly agree' on un-programmed pregnancy as a serious
factor that influenced females' participation of education in secondary schools. Others,
only 7.5 and 13.75 percent of them did not agree on the points that 'early marriage' and
'un-programmed pregnancy' affect females' participation of education in the secondary
schools respectively. As a whole, this implies that early marriage and un-programmed
pregnancy are other strong obstacles for females' participation of their secondary
education.
Lack of Time to study at Home
The other main factor that puts female-students at risk for leaving secondary school is
lack of time to study at home; that is; female students' household responsibilities place
them at risk for school leaving. Therefore, the following table accompanied by discussion
is aimed at demonstrating the effect of lack of time to study at home in facilitating female
students ' abandoning secondary school.
56
Table 28: Sample female ex- students’ response on their out of School activities
No. Item Respondents
Yes No
# % # %
1 Did you spend most of your out of school time by working
different home activities rather than educational activities?
70 87.5 10 12.5
2 Did you help your parents by working other income
generating activities?
46 57.5 34 42.5
According to Table 28, about 87.5 percent of female students suggested that they spent
most of these out of school time by doing home activities rather than educational
activities.
Besides this, 57.5 percent of them also admitted that they helped their parents by working
other income generating activities. While only the minors (12.5 percent and 42.5 percent)
mentioned, they did not kill most of their time by home activities and by working
generating income activities. In general, this implies that most of female ex-students did
not have enough time for studying their exercise notes, doing home works or
assignments, referring books and so forth.
Due to this, they might get less result in examination that led them to hate their learning
interest.
Finally, this might motivate them to reach at the conclusion of school leaving. Then,
lacking enough time in study at home was other factor that aggravated female students to
be fewer participants that leads them to leave their secondary education before
completing the required cycles.
Furthermore, the students who said ‘Yes’ in number one were also asked again to tell the
type of works they did out of their educational activities.
In line with this, most of them gave the followings: Fetching water and / or firewood,
preparing food, painting the house and Brenda by mud, washing family's clothes and
myself, taking care for my child or my brother or sisters, working on the farms, cutting
57
house’s building wood, shopping food materials, trapping fishes, grinding maize for food
and the like.
Besides the above points, these female-students who answered that they were helping
their parents by working other income generating activities were further asked to mention
too. So, they mentioned preparing and selling preparing and seeking local ‘Trapping fish
and selling them; collecting mango and selling them and preparing cultural decoration .
According to the female ex-students response, it is possible to realize that their parents'
economic background was poor since they were supported by their daughters' incomes
obtained from different income generating activities.
In addition to this, the female ex-students and their parents were also asked in an
interview how many hours the female students worked home activities other than
educational activities per
Day.
Table 29: Female ex-students' and their parents’ responses on girls’ working hours per a day in home activities than educational activities.
Range of working hours per a day in home Parents
Students actives
Respondents
Parents Students
# % # %
1hrs. -3hrs. 8 10.9 8 10.0
4hrs. -6hrs. 24 32.9 24 30.0
7hrs. -9hrs. 30 41.1 30 37.5
Above 9hrs. 11 15.1 18 22.5
Among the female ex-students and their parents who were asked in interview suggested
the amount working hours per a day of girls’ (out of school activities). Only 41.10 and
37.5 percent of parents and their daughters (majority of respondents) revealed that they
worked 7-9 hrs per day other than their educational activities respectively.
58
Besides, about 32.88 percent and 30 percent of parents and female ex-students also about
the average monthly income of their parents gave the following responses.
Table 30: Female- students’ response regarding their parent’s monthly income
Monthly income in
Mbarara district
Respondents
# %
1000-5000 13 16.25
5000-8000 10 12.50
8000-10000 8 10
10000-12000 9 11.25
12000-20000 7 8.75
40000-50000 9 11.25
60000-80000 4 5.0
100,000-200,000 5 6.25
200,000& above 4 5.0
None 11 13.75
Total 80 100
Based on Table 30, the majority of females' parents (16.25 percent of them) monthly
income was from 1000-5000. While 12.5 percent and 10 percent of them replied they had
from
50000-80000 per month respectively. The rest 11.25 percent, 8.75 percent,
11.25 percent, 5 percent of them suggested the general monthly incomes of the sample
parents indicate that most of them don't have satisfactory monthly income. This implies
that the economical backgrounds of most parents are very bad. Due to this, parents can't
help their daughters economically as they want and as they like. This influences their
interest of learning.
Besides this, among the students who were asked in an interview "Did your family pay
your school payment on time?” only 68.75 percent of them said 'No'. While 31.25 percent
59
of them said 'Yes'. This implies that most of the female ex-students' parents didn't pay
necessary school fee properly. In line with this, it is possible to say that parental inability
to afford female educational expense could be other major factor affecting their
participation in secondary school.
As it is seen in Table 30 almost all of the parent's monthly income was not sufficient
amount of money that could cover their daughters’ school expenses. It is obvious that
money is necessary to cover the cost of instructional materials, transportation, clothing
and the like. These all are directly related to the economic status of living standard of
parents. Poor economic status of parents puts the female students in all aspects
disadvantaged result of which is giving up their schooling.
In addition to this, the economic status of parents and their encouragement to their
daughters plays significant role in their educational participation. That is why the female
ex-students who were asked in the interview gave the following responses about their
parents' feeling on their giving up of secondary education.
Table 31: Female ex-students response concerning their parents’ feeling due to their giving up of education
Female ex-students replied that parents: Frequencies
# %
Agreed on my giving up of education. 50 62.5
Are very angry due to my giving up of schooling 15 18.75
Didn’t care about my leaving of education 10 12.5
Motivate and advise to re-joining my education 5 6.25
Total 80 100
According to the reasons given in Table 31, most of the daughters’ parents motivated
them in order to stop their education before completing their secondary school cycles.
Likewise, 12.5 percent of their parents did not worry whether they continued their
education or not.
60
On the contrary, 18.75 % of them did not agree their stopping of secondary education.
Similarly, only 6.25 percent of interviewed students' parents encourage or motivate and
advise their daughters to re-join their education.
In addition to this, the sample parents themselves were asked in an interview about their
children educational situations as well as their opinion on it. The questions as well as the
responses given by parents are stated below.
Table 32: Parents’ responses on number their daughters as well as their opinion towards their daughters' educational situation.
Item
Number of parents’ children
1 child 2 children 3-4Children More than 4
children
# % # % # % % #How many school age-children do you
have?
4 5.5 11 15.1 26 35.6 32 43.8
How many of them do attend school? 9 12.3 35 47.9 18 24.7 11 15.1
According to Table32, 43.84 percent of parents that are the majority of the sample
parents had more than four school age-children. And 35.62 percent of interviewed parents
had 3- 4 school age children. While the rest, few in number that is 5.48 percent and 15.07
percent of them had one & two school age-children respectively.
In line with this, parents were also asked in interview about the number of their daughters
who are learning. So, 12.3 47.9, 24.7 and 15.1 percent of parents responded 1, 2, 3-4 and
above children are learning respectively. This shows that most of the daughters didn’t
attend education.
Based on the table, for instance, majority of the parents had more than 3 school age-
children while 47.9 percent of them responded that only 2 school age children attend their
education.
61
In addition to this, parents were also asked in interview to whom (son or daughter) prefer
to attend schooling.
Table 33: Parents' preference to send their children to school.
Item
Parents' ResponseSon Daughter Both
# %
# % # %
If you have daughter and son, whom do
you want to attend school?
37 50.7 2 2.7 34 46.6
As Table 33 has shown, 50.7 percent of parents admitted that they prefer to send their
sons to females to attend school. While only 2.7 percent of parent respondents prefer to
send their daughters to sons to attend school. Forty-six point six percent of parents need
to teach both of them (sons & daughters). This implies that lack of parental interest
towards their daughters' education could affect the value of schooling of female students
by discouraging their educational participation towards learning.
Besides this, the parents were also asked in the interview, "Did you follow up your
daughter's educational situation when she was learning?" Then, about 64.4 percent (47)
of them said 'No' while 35.6 percent (26) of them responded 'Yes'. So, this shows that
most of female students' parents didn't follow up their daughters' educational activities.
These means parents didn't motivate or encourage their daughters' educational
participation. This could also be a factor that contributed for less participation of females'
education.
Furthermore, the sample female students and their parents were asked to explain the main
reasons that forced them to give up their education. They gave the following reasons.
62
Table 34: Female ex-students and their parent’s response on the main reasons for females’ giving up the education
Reasons.
Due to:
Respondents
Girls Parents Total
# % # % # %Lack of parental support 52 65 30 41.1 82 53.9
Cultural pressure for early marriage 70 87.5 50 68.
5
120 78.4
Un-wanted pregnancy 54 67.5 42 57.5 96 62.7
Parental disunity 35 43.8 25 34.2 60 39.2
Lack of time to study at home 65 81.3 38 52.1 103 67.3
Lack of parental awareness about ht use of girls’ education 73 91.3 32 43.8 105 68.6
Parents’ need of girls’ labor at home 77 96.3 60 82.2 137 89.5
Lack of school which is nearer to home 37 46.3 24 32.9 61 39.4
Shortage of learning materials /facilities 57 71.3 31 42.5 88 57.6
Poor academic performance 34 42.5 34 46.6 68 44.4
The learners disinterest 25 31.3 33 45.2 58 37.9
According to the above Table 34, 53,9%, 78.4%, 62.7%, 39.2%, 67.3%, 68.6%, 89.5%,
39.4%57.6%, 44.4% and 37.4% of girls and parents suggested that lack of supporters,
cultural pressure for early marriage, unwanted pregnancy, unknowing the use of
education lack if schools, shortage of instructional materials, poor academic performance
and lack of learning interest are some of the most common reasons that aggravate girls to
give up their secondary education respectively.
The sample teachers' response for the question, “Do female students' parents support and
motivate their daughters to continue their education? " was similar with the responses of
female students and their parents. Seventy seven point five percent of the sample teachers
said
'No'. While only 22.5 percent of them said 'Yes! Those who said 'No ' were also asked to
mention at least five reasons for their responses. They gave the following reasons.
63
Table 35: Teachers’ responses about the reasons that parents do not support or motivate their daughters
Reasons Responses
# %
Parents prefer to marry their daughters to continue the education to get a bride price 58 93.5
Parents believed that further education for males is unnecessary 56 90.3
Parents strongly believed that females’ duty is to be housewife rather that learning 60 96.8
Parents traditionally believe that females are not gifted and successful for further education 45 72.6Parents economical background does not allow them to help their daughters 61 98.4
As Table 35 indicates, 93.5 % of teachers suggested that parents prefer their daughters’
engagement in marriage to continue their education. Likewise, 90.3%, 96.8% and 98.4%
of them said that parents ‘believing on only males should be given further education
rather than females, and their poor economic background seriously affect females’
education respectively.
Furthermore, the secondary school personnel (60 percent) who were asked in an
interview said 'Yes' for the question "Are female - students who left the school before
completing the four years cycles weak academically than female and male students who
are learning? "Next to this, about 60.5% of the directors, who said ‘yes’, also suggested
that early marriage, unwanted pregnancy, economic problem, lack of school facilities and
so forth are the most common reasons for girls’ academic weakness. This indicates that
girls’ academic weakness comes due to cultural, social and economic reasons as it is
already suggested in this chapter.
64
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In this Chapter, based on the data gathered by using the instrument designed for the
study, some major conclusions and recommendations are made here.
Summary and conclusions
The main purpose of the study focused on investigating the major factors that affect the
participation of female students in secondary schools in Mbarara district.
Then, in order to meet the main purpose of the study, a descriptive survey method was
employed. Besides this, after the target populations as well as the accessible population
were identified, the whole secondary schools (i.e. five in number) of the schools were
included using the available sampling method. The subjects of the study were a sample of
female ex-students, secondary school teachers, parents and secondary school directors.
So, to collect relevant data for the study, both structured and unstructured interview
questions, questionnaire and document inspections were m
The main findings of the research include the followings:
The study attempted to examine major factors affecting participation of female students’
secondary education in school and out of school related factors. For instance, family’s
structure, occupation and educational background, pregnancy, marriage, lack of
supporter, lack of studying time, distance of school, shortage of school facilities (i.e.
latrines, textbooks, library, school counseling & guidance service), teachers’ partial
treatment of students, repetition, dropouts and absenteeism are some of the major ones.
Evidences from Manah girl’s high school show that an overall increasing number of
female students have left secondary education before completing four years cycles
(i.e. grades 9-12). In line with this, the highest school leavers were registered in grade
9 in the sample schools.
65
Most of the respondents of the study also underlined that the absence of school
guidance and counseling as well as distance from home to school seriously affect the
participation of female students.
Females have less chance to participate in secondary education than males in the
region since the chances for females to go to school is restricted due to various
cultural, social and economic barriers.
The other factors affecting participation of females’ secondary education are seriously
increasing due to parents’ need for their daughters’ labor, parents’ preference to send
sons to school, girls’ early engagement in marriage, unwanted pregnancy and low-
income of parents.
In most cases, the attitude of parents regarding the importance of education for girls
does seem to not be changed since most of them still today prefer to marry their
daughters to send to schools. It is still strongly functioning since the engagement of
their daughters’ helps them to obtain certain amount of income as the bride price
given by daughters’ husbands during the wedding ceremony.
Some female students of secondary schools would not like to continue with their
education due to several problems that they could not overcome or withstand.
The school leavers’ rate of females in secondary schools is higher than that of boys.
This implies that the number of female’s students who are discontinuing secondary
education is higher than males due to lack of secondary school near by their
residence, and repeating in the same grade levels.
Repetition, dropouts and absenteeism are the other main causes for girls’ poor
academic performance as the respondents of the sample population of the study
confirm it.
Although the government policy gives support to females’ education, a favored
situation to participate in secondary schools in the region, the sharing of girls in the
division of labor, particularly at home and partially at school, is higher and time
consuming as compared to boys. This implies that lack of enough time for studying
and doing assignments is truly a result of division of labor at home that is gender
biased. This indicates that female students spend some of their time in home and
income generating activities for their families.
66
The important points to conclude based on the nature of female participation in
secondary education, still today, the trend is that less and less number of girls than
those of boys are attending secondary school in Manah girls high school.
Females have less opportunity than boys do to persist with their education in
secondary schools.
The causes for greater female school leavers’ rate in secondary schools need to be
given strong attention.
Regarding major problems of sustaining life continue to exist, due to impoverished
situation; it is more likely that female students are forced to use much of their time
and energy on household routines rather than on their education.
It is good that we now have more and ever-increasing participation of females in
secondary schools than ever-before, but more has to be done to make this
participation of girls in education more meaningful and productive. The academic
performance and achievements of female students is something that needs
consideration.
RecommendationsIn the preceding chapters, it was thoroughly discussed that participation of females in
secondary school system has a very serious problem as it is used to be in the past. Most
of the parents are not still today willing to send their daughters equally with their sons.
Females themselves do not show strong interest and readiness to their secondary
education. As a result of this, a lot of females are not attending secondary schools due to
various problems connected with their education that remain unsolved. So, based on this
conclusion reached from the study, the following recommendations are suggested in
order to reduce major factors affecting participation of females in secondary schools in
Manah girl’s high school.
1. A large number of females had drawn from secondary schools due to the absence of
secondary schools in the nearby areas. To overcome the problem and to increase the
participation rate of females, the d District, in particular, the District Education
Bureau should pay due attention to build secondary schools at a reasonable distance
67
of the school in the District. Bringing girls to where the schools are available either
by providing the cost of transportation and arranging a shelter for them can be the
temporary solution for the problem.
2. As the findings of the study have shown that lack or shortage of school facilities such
as instructional materials, latrine, library and absence of guidance and counseling are
still other main reasons that affect girls’ educational participation in secondary
schools. Then, the provision of improved school facilities will be an ultimate effect in
encouraging regular attendance and increasing educational participation rate of
females. So, adequate and well-designed instructional materials should be delivered
to school at the proper time in order to get rid of the obstacles that influence
educational participation of females in secondary schools.
3. As it is observed the findings of the study, most of secondary schools do not have
school guidance and counseling service. While, as is confirmed by different
researches’ results, the availability of dedicated school guidance and counselor helps
the learners to solve individual problems and to have a good out look towards self and
encourage female students with their learning difficulties. So, the Regional Education
Bureau and other responsible authorities should try to assign schools guidance and
counseling services for secondary schools to increase girls’ educational participation
in the region.
4. Creating awareness about the factors affecting participation of females in secondary
schools alone could not bring about solutions. As the findings of the study indicates,
parents’ poor economic background is seriously mentioned as one of the factors for
parents’ reluctance to send their females less participation
5. Rate of education. Then, in order to increase the participation rate of females and
persistence in secondary education, intervention should be taken by governmental,
non-governmental organization and other funding agencies. These interventions
should use covering the cost of sending a girl to school, clothing, health, food and
house renting.
6. In order to improve the academic performance of females and to increase their
educational participation, tutorial or compulsory classes should be given at
68
appropriate time in secondary schools besides up-grading the qualification level of
females who are teaching in primary schools.
7. As the findings of the study have shown, the absence of female teachers in secondary
schools may discourage the learning interest of female students. So, the District
Education Bureau should search a means to assign female teachers in secondary
schools.
8. The responsible authorities should arrange or organize in-service teachers training
programs through summer course or distance education to up-grade teachers’ required
professional competence. The officials ought to also arrange a training program for
secondary school teachers on female education in the form of workshops, seminar or
conferences to create awareness on female students’ education.
9. As the findings of the study have also shown that repeatedly absenteeism was one of
the major factors affecting the participation of female students in secondary schools.
Regarding this, the school administrators with deep collaboration of the community
should organize seminars to create awareness about the disadvantages of being absent
from school by their daughters.
10. As the findings of the study have indicated, lack of time to study at home was one of
the major factors that influenced participation of female students in secondary school.
This is true that female students cover a large portion of household activities such as
child caring, preparing food, fetching water, collecting fire wood, preparing local ‘
trapping fish for selling as well as for eating; making different cultural decoration
rather than educational activities. These affect girls’ educational participation,
persistence and scholastic achievements. Consequently, all these lead them to poor
educational performance that in turn discourage their interest of learning and at the
end could be the causes to leave schooling. Therefore, awareness should be created
among parents how to let their daughters using their out of school time on educational
activities by organizing a meeting or seminar with the community by focusing on the
hardships their daughters’ face in their education due to the bulky tasks given at
home. It is also strongly important to introduce parents and their daughters to
appropriate modern technology like fuel saving stoves utility and relevant services
like water supply and sharing division of labor.
69
11. As it is observed from the findings of this study, parents’ preference of their
daughters’ engagement in marriages and un-wanted pregnancy to learn in order to
obtain the bride price given by the husband were also the other major factors that
affect participation of female students in secondary schools. Then, it is necessary to
organize sensitizing program in the region in order to create awareness about the
advantage of further learning of girls rather than engaging them in marriage. The
Mass Media, community leaders, opinion people, , Religious leaders, and
Educational Offices and Women’s Association Affairs of Sectors Bureau should
create awareness on the priority of learning by organizing Seminars or workshops to
the community. This will help to change the old traditional outlook and cultural
restrictions on marriage in order to enhance the participation of female students in
secondary schools in the region. Besides this, giving more job opportunities for
females who completed their education will be another means to encourage parents’
willingness to support their daughters’ Learning.
12. Finally, there might be other problems faced by female students that could be the
Causes for affecting participation of females in secondary schools. Therefore, further
studies can be carried out on the factors that affect participation of females in
secondary schools in Mbarara district.
70
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72
Questionnaire
For students, parents, teachers and directors
Dear respondents, you have been selected to participate in this study without prior
knowledge of your existence.
You are requested to tell the truth. The purpose of this study is purely academic
The information will be treated with utmost confidence, you may respond by ticking
where applicable.
Background information
1. Position held
(a) Student
(b) Parent
(c) Teacher
(d) Director
2. Age of the student
(a) Up to 16
(b) 17-19
(c) 20-22
(d) Above 22
3. Age of parents
(a) Below 35
(b) 35-44
(c) 45-54
(d) 55 and above
4. The level of education attained by the students’ grades
(a) Grade 9
(b) Grade 10
(c) Grade 11
73
Section B
Major factors affecting participation of female students in secondary schools in Mbarara
district
1. Parent response on the time their children take to reach school
(a) Up to 30 mts
(b) 31-45 mts
(c) 46-60 mts
(d) 16-90 mts
(e) More than 90
2. Girls response on the time of arrival at school
Arrival on time (a) Yes(b) No
3. Teachers responses on the following factors
Item Teacher’s responses
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
1. Lack of school facilities
2. Lack of school guidance and
counseling
3. Not on swearing questions
4.
5. Not paying attention to class
6. not coming on time from home to
school
7. The female ex-student responses on problems that delay them to reach school on time
Item Response
1. Hotness climatic condition
2. Lack of transportation
3. Lack of bridge to cross the river
4. Forced by male students for sexual intercourse
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8. Treatment on school girls during teaching- learning process respondent by putting
their equal or not
Female student
School personnel
Teachers
9. Do schools have special or compulsory classes for girls filled by directors?
Reasons Respondents
1. Due to hotness of the environmental climate, the teachers
as well as female students are most interested to come
back to school in the afternoon
2. Due to crowded of home activities, most female students
could not have free time to come to school to take the
tutorial classes
3. Parents do not allow their daughters to go back to school
after the normal classes
4. Due to the long distance of the school from home, they do
not want to come back to school.
5. Most of them are not devoted to learn
10. How many students (females) participate in different classes filled by directors?
(a) Mass media
(b) Student counsel
(c) Re-cross
(d) Sport
11. Subjects preferred by the students filled by the students
(a) Mathematics
(b) English
(c) Chemistry
(d) Biology
(e) Commerce
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(f) All subjects
(g) History
12. Teacher’s observation on the academic performance of female school leavers in high
schools
(a) High
(b) Average
(c) Low
(d) Very low
13. In which do you think your daughters repeat classes by parents
(a) Grade 9
(b) Grade 10
(c) Grade 11
(d) Do not remember the specific grade
14. Information about families and their structure
(a) Were your parent (mother and father) alive when you were in secondary school?
a) Yes b) No
(b) If you say No who died?.........................................................................
(c) If both alive, did they live together when you were in school?
a) Yes b) No
d) With whom did you live when you were in school?........................................
15. What reasons make parents do not want to support or motivate their daughters?
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Interview guide
Students and parents
Dear respondents, you have been selected to participate in this study without prior
knowledge of your existence. You are requested to tell the truth. The purpose of this
study is purely academic.
The information you will be treated with utmost confidence, you may respond by ticking
where applicable.
Background information
1. Level of education attained by the student
a) Illiterate
b) Read and write
c) Primary
d) Secondary
e) College
2. Parents occupational background
a) Farmer
b) Self employee
c) NGO employee
d) Others
Section B
1. What reasons leads girls to dropout from schools by parents?”
……………………………………………………………………
2. How was their marriage status while at school?
…………………………………………………………………………….
3. Who made the decision or agreement for girls’ marriage?
……………………………………………………………………………….
4. Where having a child…………………………………………………………
5. Did your daughter mainly when she was a student?
……………………………………………………………………………….
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6. Did you spend most of your time at school time by doing different home activities
rather than educational activities?
……………………………………………………………………………….
7. Did you help parents by working other income generating activities?
8. What is the range of working hours?
a) 1hrs-3hrs
b) 4hrs-6hrs
c) 7hrs-9hrs
d) Above 9hrs
9. Female ex-students reply on parents choice of education
a) Agreed on my giving up of education
b) Are very angry one to my giving up of schooling
c) Didn’t care about my leaving of education
d) Motivate and advise to re-joining my education
10. How many school age-children do you have?............................
11. How many of them do attend school?......................................
12. If you have daughter and son, when do you want to attend school?
13. Female ex-students and parents responses on female on reasons of female
students’ giving up on education.
a) Lack of parental support
b) Cultural pressure for early marriage
c) Un-wanted pregnancy
d) Parental disunity
e) Lack of time to study at home
f) Lack of parental awareness about the use of girls’ education
g) Parents’ need of girls’ labor at home
h) Lack of school which is nearer at home
i) Shortage of learning material facilities
j) Poor academic performance
k) The learners distance
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