Factors influencing adult females' re-entry into school in selected evening education centres in Lusaka district,Zambia

Abstract

The study aimed at establishing factors influencing adult females’ re-entry into school through evening classes at selected evening education centres. The objectives of the study were to; establish factors that influenced adult females’ re-entry into school through evening classes, ascertain prevalence of adult females’ re-entry into school through evening classes programme and find out if there were any challenges associated with education provision in evening classes programmes. A descriptive survey was used as a research design and both quantitative and qualitative (mixed) methods were used in the study. The sample comprised 82 participants consisting of 68 adult female learners, 12 teachers that taught in the evening classes and 2 of the evening classes coordinators. Primary data was collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions, interview guide while secondary data collection involved document review. Non-probability sampling was used in which purposive and convenience samplings were adopted to collect data. Factors influencing adult female’s re-entry into school were established such as, adult female learners were in some cases being forced to re-enter school as they were given conditions attached to their going back to school. Influence came about after been given conditions to choose either to go to school or lose out socially or economically. It was also established that, female adult learners looked forward to being recognised, accorded respect from families as well as from communities. It was established that government policies such as those that allowed those who did not have chance to complete school in the first attempt to re-enter school, motivated many adult females to re-enter school.Adult female learners generally wanted to be enlightened with different issues that mattered most in society .It was also established that the evening classes programme had both positive impacts on female adult learners as it met their aspirations and needs and challenges in its provision such as less contact time between teacher and learners, lack of teachers and inadequate learning and teaching materials. Based on the findings, the study recommended that, the office of the DODE should be monitoring the centres from time to time to familiarise themselves with what is happening on the ground even when the centres were initially started by the schools themselves.