Practices towards formal education of female children: A case study of Misisi and Roma Townships: 2008-2010
Date
2013-11-11
Authors
Silumbu, Zulu Mbonyiwe
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Abstract
This study is entitled Perceptions and Practices towards Formal Education of Female children: A Case Study of Misisi and Roma townships: 2008 – 2010:OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:The general objective for carrying out this study was to assess and compare the perceptions and practices of parents in Roma Township (high socio-economic area) and Misisi Compound (low socio-economic area) regarding girl child education. The specific objectives were:To examine the practices of parents/guardians regarding sending their children to school.To establish whether parents/guardians have been persuaded to accept that girl child education is as important as boys’.To investigate whether girls are being socialized differently from boys in terms of different roles in the home.
To examine the views and practices by disaggregating the results in both areas.
To establish how the parents/guardians in the two areas get their perceptions underlying their concept of girl child education, whether it is through the media or other sensitization programmes etc.
STUDY SITE The selected sites were Roma which is a high cost suburb (approx. population 35,000 people- Census
2000) and Misisi which is a low cost unplanned settlement (population 100,000)
METHODOLOGY:A sample of 200 parents with school age children was selected from Roma and Misisi.Data was collected through structured questionnaires and focus group discussions.DATA ANALYSIS:Data analysis was done using quantitative and qualitative methods to come up with descriptive statistics.STUDY FINDINGS:The study found more educated males than females in both areas. It established that the male
and female respondents in both areas in practice favoured sending the boy to school over the girl.The majority of the respondents in both areas agreed that the public had received enough sensitization on the importance of sending girls to school and still sent more boys than girls.
There were differences in opinions about the perceived anticipated levels of education for theirchildren with parents in Misisi favouring grade twelve level of education as enough and the parents in Roma preferring tertiary and further education as a better option. It was further established that the poor were socializing their children to perform the same house chores regardless of sex as a survival strategy whilst the rich were socializing their children in
performing specific tasks according to sex.
CONCLUSION:The study concluded that though the rich and the poor had heard and accepted the importance of sending a girl to school, factors that disadvantaged the girl were common with both groups. Culturally, acceptable values and norms that regard the male as the bread winner result in
practices and attitudes that are gender biased in the socialization of the girl and of the boy. There are persistent practices that have not changed over time such as preference of sending boys to school over the girl regardless of the social background.
RECOMMENDATIONS:The study recommended that gender biases in the homes could be addressed through vigorous advocacy programmes by government in collaboration with NGOs that promote gender parity.
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Girls Education-Zambia