Female students enrollment in secondary schools of metekel zone, benishangul gumuz region: the case of gumuz females

Abstract

The major purpose of the study was to examine the enrolment of Gumuz female students’ in secondary schools of Metekel zone. To achieve this, the descriptive survey method was used. The sampling techniques employed were purposive, cluster and simple random sampling, the sample size was 97 teachers, 149 Gumuz female students, 9 school principals, 36 PTAs, 6 woreda education officials and 6 woreda women, children and youth affairs officials. The data gathering tools were questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion as well as document analysis. In analysing the result percentages, frequency distributions, Gender Parity Index and chi-square were used. The result indicated that trend of Gumuz female students was not only the lowest but it has not shown significant improvement. Low parents attitude for females’ education, early marriage, exchange marriage, demand of female labour, economic problems, parents illiteracy, school distances, shortage of role model female teachers, worry of unwanted pregnancy are the major reasons for low enrolment. Establishing Kebele community mobilization teams at grass root levels in collaboration with relevant government bodies and NGOs would help make community and parents aware on the benefits of female’s education. Improving home technologies to minimize the incidences of female child labour, up grading the second cycle primary schools to secondary schools, recruiting more female teachers be role model would help to improve Gumuz females’ enrolment in secondary schools.