Reasons for Girls Drop Out in Primary Schools in Tanzania: The Case of Mpanda District

Mloka , Nestory Albert (2014) Reasons for Girls Drop Out in Primary Schools in Tanzania: The Case of Mpanda District. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

The study explored the reasons for higher rate of girls drop-out in Primary Schools in Tanzania with a focus on primary schools in Mpanda district. Its objectives included; determining reasons that contribute to girls drop-out in Mpanda district, investigating the effects of relationships that girls and boys engage in the district and how they correspond with the drop-out rate of girl students in Primary Schools in Mpanda district and to assess the role of economic activities in relation to school drop-out. Qualitative research design was the predominant paradigm employed in collecting and analyzing data. The population of the study involved samples of twenty three primary schools, twenty three drop-out girls, eleven parents, seventeen head teachers, one District Education Officer, one District Chief Inspector of schools and one District Education Academic Officer. Data were gathered through interviews, observation, focus group discussion, documentary review and questionnaires. Content analysis was used in interpreting data from the field of the study. The findings revealed that home environment had a great role to play as an agent of girls drop-out in primary schools. Early marriage was also a realized factor to the girls drop-out in schools”. The research also revealed that there was high girls’ drop-out role because of late enrolment in standard one in all primary schools. Boys were preference of the parents for education, hence girls were discouraged. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that the Village Executive Officers (VEOs) should be empowered to conduct endless public awareness campaign and establishment of effective enforcing law of allocating female teachers in rural schools and the use of Non-Governmental Organizations and Community. It is also recommended that another study should be done in other regions in Tanzania. Therefore the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training should involve all ministerial officers to run such study so as to reduce the high drop-out of girls in primary schools.

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