Abstract:
The general objective of this study was to assess the challenges of out-of-school children in Afar region.
To achieve this objective the study employed a case study design using qualitative methods. The study was
carried out in one simple randomly selected Woreda of Zone One. All 45 participants, 16 parents, 12
children, 14 Parent Teacher Associations, 2 regional education officials and 1 woreda education official
were also involved in the study for focus group discussion, semi-structured interview through simple
random and purposive sampling techniques respectively. Focus group discussion and semi-structured
interview was the main instrument of data collection. Document analysis and observation were also
utilized to substantiate the data obtained through focus group discussion and semi-structured interview.
Using the theory of social exclusion and the right-based approach to education, the study selected two
social groups; rural and urban. It analyzed how differences in social, economic as well as political
circumstances between the groups continue to reinforce the exclusion of children from education. The
finding of this study indicate that the two social groups have group-specific factors which explain why
their children are excluded from education. The children from the rural group experience four forms of
disadvantages: the provision of education which is mainly focused on school-based approach, luck of
parents awareness on the importance of education, relevance of the curriculum to their linguistic and
cultural reality and disparity in the provision of education among the kebele’s that prevent the full
participation of the rural group. Parents from the urban group, on the other hand, managed to send some
of their children to school while keeping others at home. This group appears to be excluded due to
factors, such as: Economic circumstance, inability to pay the contribution imposed on parents as a
registration fee in an ad hoc manner for some households who have low income resources and large
family members, lack of curriculum relevance. The study argues that the provision of education should be
flexible which take into account the socio-economic, linguistic and cultural reality of the pastoral
community, and more focus should be needed to be given for demand-side factors.
