An assessment of the factors that influence persistent girl child school dropout from secondary schools; case study: Munkunyu sub-county, Kasese district

Abstract

The study assessed the factors that influence girl child school dropout from secondary schools in Munkunyu sub county Kasese District. The specific objectives of the study included; to determine the school based factors influencing the girls’ dropout rates in the selected secondary schools, to establish the influence of cultural factors on girls’ dropout from secondary schools, to determine the economic factors influencing girls’ dropout in Munkunyu Sub County. Relevant literature about the objectives of the study were reviewed and analyzed. Information was got from sources like textbooks, internet, journals, and official reports. The researcher obtained primary and secondary data in the course of the study and critically scrutinized it during interpretation and analysis. The data collection instruments were questionnaires and interview guides which were administered to a total number of 70 respondents who were students and teachers of selected secondary schools of Munkunyu Sub County who are faced by the problem of girls’ dropout. The study revealed that long distance from home to school, early marriages, parents/ guardians’ failure to provide schooling costs like books, school fees had an influence on girls’ dropout from secondary schools. The research noted that there was girl child school dropout from secondary schools despite Government programmes such as USE and NGO’s paying school fees for some girls in secondary schools. The research had the following recommendations; Government, NGO’s and community members (parents) should strive to establish dormitories to reduce the distance from home to school, government should deal with poverty to empower the community, Deterrent punishments should be awarded to culprits who defile young girls, School Administrators should not expel pregnant girls from secondary schools but should be re-admitted after delivery. The researcher finally recommended further study of a similar nature in areas of Uganda where, no similar studies have been carried out in a different situation or time frame.