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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 1

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Page 1: Declaration - Makerere University · Web viewFactors affecting participation of females in secondary schools in Mbarara district 09/U/13956/EXT Asingwire Evas Dissertation submitted

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

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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……………………………………….

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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…………………….

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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.

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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?

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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,

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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# %

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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References

Almaz Zewdie (1991). “Women in Primary & Second Education.” Gender Issue

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Anbesu Biazen (1992). Educational opportunities & Disparities in Ethiopia

(Unpublished Research Report

Ayalew Shibeshi (1989). “Some trends in Regional Disparities in Primary School

Galantine, H. J. (1993). The Sociology of Education: A systematic Analysis,

London: Prentice Hall.

Befekadu Zeleke (1998). Promoting Girls’ Basic Education in the Rural Areas of

Oromia. Addis Ababa University (Unpublished Master Thesis. )

Bishop, G. (1989). Alternative strategies for Education. New York: Macmillan.

Brimer ,M.A. and L. Pauli (1971) . Wastage in Education. Switzerland: UNESCO

Brookover, (1982) Creating Effective Schools . Holmes Beach, FL: Learning

Publications.

Chamie, M. (1983). Institutional & Household Factors Affecting Young Girls’

School Attendance in developing Countries. Washington DC.

World Bank.

Chantavnich, A.S. and G. Fry (1990). Evaluating primary education. Qualitative and

Quantitative Policy Studies in Thailand. Ottawa: IDRC

Chervichovsky, D. and Measook, O. (1985) . School Enrollment in Indonesia: World

Bank staff’s working paper No. 746 Washington DC

Conway, J. K. & Bourque, S. C. (1993). The Politics of women’s Education

Perspectives from Asia, Africa & Lative America. Ann

Arbor: The University of Michigan Press

. Coombs, P.H.( 1985). The world Crisis in Education. The view from the eighties.

New York. Oxford University Press.

Curle, A. (1973). Educational problem in developing societies: With case studies of

Ghana, Pakistan and Nigeria. New York:

. Danel Desta (1995). “ School Attendance & Academic Achievement among Boys

& Girls’: the case of selected grade six students in Addis

Ababa” (Unpublished Research report.)

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Deble, I. (1980). The School Education of Girls. Paris: UNESC

Diririsa Birbirso (1993). Female Participation in Primary & Secondary Education

Post-1947 in Ethiopia. (Unpublished Master thesis.)

Ediger, M. (1987). “School Dropouts, Absenteeism and Tardiness.” (Unpublished

Document Resume, ERIC Reports)

Eisemon, T.O. (1997). Reducing Repetition issues & strategies. Paris.

Elleni Tedla (1995). Sankofa: African Thought and Education. New York: Peter

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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

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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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