Determinants of girl child drop out in peri urban areas: a case study of Kiruhura town council

Abstract

This study was conducted in Kiruhura Town Council, Kiruhura District assessing determinants of girl child drop out of school in peri urban areas. Its specific objectives were; (i) To investigate the family factors that influence drop out of girls, (ii) to determine the relationship between family factors and school drop-out of girls (iii) to investigate the schools environmental factors and how they influence school drop-out of girls and (iv) to examine the economic factors contributing to girl child drop out in schools The study findings indicated that 59% of the households were male headed households and only 41% were headed by females, majority of the respondents (63%) were protestants, 20% were catholics and minority of them (1%) were muslims, 46% of the respondents were married, 28% were widowed and only 9% were divorced, 36% of them had completed primary education, followed by 35% who had incomplete primary education whereas only 4% had post-secondary education. There is a relationship between sex of the household and girl child dropouts with female headed families highly likely to have drop outs. For example girls from male headed families have 0.549 more chances of not dropping out of school. The study found a relationship between marital status of the household and girl child dropouts (p-value<0.05) with more girls in married partners more likely to attend that those from divorced families. For example girls of married household heads have 0.249 chances higher than those from other categories. The study findings indicated that relationship between education level of the household and girl child dropouts (p-value<0.05) with girls from household heads with higher level of education likely not to drop out of school and compared to those from less learned household heads For example girls of uneducated household heads have 0.344 chances of dropping out than those from other categories. The findings also indicated that occupation of household head and distance to the school have no relationship with girl child dropping out of school (p-value>0.05). The researcher concluded that sex of household head, marital status of household head and education of head of household significantly affect the girl child dropout rate in school while occupation of household head and distance to the school had no relationship with girl child dropping out of school. The study recommended government to provide incentives such as school fees reductions to female headed families so as to enable them remain in school and Children from poor economic backgrounds should be given incentives such as bursaries so that they can keep in school