What do you think are the factors that lead the girl child to drop out of school?

BACKGROUND

The new vision 4th July 2014 observes that for decades, education for the girl-child in Uganda was a luxury preserved for boys.

Girls’ education in Uganda became an issue of concern in 1986 when the NRM Government took over power and established law reforms in favour of girls’ education, by establishing an “Education Review Committee” in 1987.

Thanks to universal primary education, intense sensitization and media campaigns by women activists, Uganda achieved more gender equality with enrolment in primary schools between 1999 and 2007. According to UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report of 2010, enrolment for girls was 49.9% and boys 50.1% in 2008.

But girls are still not completing school. According to the 2008 education ministry statistics, the completion rate for girls at senior four was 31% compared to 39% for boys, while the transition rate to senior five was 43% for boys and 31.1% for girls.

This trend is due to many reasons like menstruation periods, lack of scholastic materials and rigid cultural attitudes and practices. For example, former education minister Namirembe Bitamazire even said that, “A good woman had to stay home, be taught how to cook, wash, dig, and to prepare for marriage”.

Question

What do you think are the factors that lead the girl child to drop out of school?  

A) Lack of sanitary pads for the girl child during menstruation
B) Sexual harassment by the opposite sex
C) Cultural attitude and practices that prepare girls to be future housewives d) Defilement by fellow students and teachers

INSTRUCTIONS:
Go to messages on your phone and type in HITS followed by name of your DISTRICT and either A, B or C. Send your message to 8585 - This message is totally FREE of charge.