AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CAUSES OF SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG GIRLS DESPITE THE BURSARY PROGRAMMES IN MPHEREMBE CLUSTER: A CASE STUDY OF EMCISWENI C.D.S.S. (Case Study Sample)

AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CAUSES OF SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG GIRLS DESPITE THE BURSARY PROGRAMMES IN MPHEREMBE CLUSTER: A CASE STUDY OF EMCISWENI C.D.S.S. CHAPTER ONE : BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.1. Introductuon School dropout is not a new issue in most of the schools in Mpherembe cluster. Hoewer, this has been very common among girl children. This has been so due to high poverty levels in most of the families in the catchment area. However, culture seems to be the main driving force. The people of this area are the Ngonis and the Tumbukas. There are five secondary schools which are all Community Day Secondary Schools in Mpherembe cluster. These schools are surrounded by typical villages that comprise the Ngoni and Tumbuka cultures which are patriotic in nature. Moreover most families are those of low class. Their living standards are so low that most of them cannot manage to eat three times a day. This being the case parents had been failing to pay school fees and proovide other necessities to their children once they got selected to secondary schools. Since the patriotic culture values a boy child more than a girl child parents were sending boy children to school at the expence of a girl child whenever they got selected to start form one due to inadequate resources. Girls were dropping out of school and marry. Even if both boys and gils failed to persue with education still more parents were forced to engage a boy child in any other industry before he got married. Girls were regarded as marriage materials. This trend led to high illiteracy levels and dependance syndrome among women and girls. The inequality in educational levels between males and females had also led to different forms of abuses, oppression and violation of human rights including gender-based violences among women and girls inside as well as outside the family set up. Looking at the fate girls and women suffered due to educational inequality between males and females different organisations intervened in Mzimba North educational district where there are different clusters including Mpherembe. One of these organisations is CAMFED. The core agenda of this organisation is to promote education for girls especially the needy ones by providing them with resources such as school bags, full kit of school uniform which include two brouses, skirt, school shoes and socks, writing matrrials, calculator, mathematical instruments, and school fees. The aim was that each girl child regardless of the family economic status should enjoy her right to education. Emcisweni C.D.S.S. is among the five schools which are the beneficiaries. Surprisingly, girls including CAMFED beneficiaries still drop out from school and get married. This research will investigate reasons why girls get married despite being on bursary programme. The study will also suggest how this malpractice can be eliminated. 1.2. Statement of the Problem The culture of the Ngoni of Mzimba is patriarchal. That is why some organisations like CAMFED, funded by DFID, chipped in to promote the education of a girl child especially the needy ones. Mzimba North educational district where Mpherembe cluster is has benefited from the project. All schools in the cluster are the beneficiaries of the project. Emcisweni C.D.S.S. is one these schools. Education of a girl child has a great impact in the family, society and the nation, hence a saying,"If you educate a girl, you educate a nation." However, it shows that CAMFED as an organisation is not sharing the same objectives with the beneficiaries who are so called 'the needy' who are perceived to have failed to continue with their education due to inadequate resources in their respective families. Surprisingly, most of the girls who have failed to continue with their education due to early marriages are the benefiaries themselves. For instance, in 2017 there were forty six girls who were the beneficiaries at Emcisweni C.D.S.S. CAMFED was well funded and provided all the necessities to these girls such as school fees, uniforms which complised a skirt, two blouses, a pair of shoes and socks, sanitary pads, hard covers, college exercise books, pens, a school bag, a set of mathematical instruments, a solar lamp and a calculator. Despite all these, four beneficiaries got married in form three and another one in form two. In 2018 some four beneficiaries from form two also got married. This research seeks to find out why there always early marriages among girls despite being on bursary programme and the impact this malpractice brings in the society and possibly finding solutions to the problem at hand. 1.3. Purpose of the Study The research will help dig out the causes of dropout among girls regardless of all the resources avialable to them. 1.4. Specific Objectives i. Investigating the criteria followed when selecting the beneficiaries of the programme ii. Examining the causes of school dropout among girls who are beneficiaries iii.Assessing the impact of the practices to the community iv.Identifying ways of mitigating the malpractices among girls 1.5. Hypothesis Peer pressure and lack of proper guidance and counseling in the families lead to unwanted pregnacies and early marriages among girls. 1.6. Significance of the Study There are many things that affect girls' education positively or negatively. This study will help different stakeholders know what is happening so that girls fail to finish their secondary education. The knowledge of what is happening on the ground that leads to school dropout among girls will also help these stakeholders come up with relevant mechanisms to overcome such challenges. CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1. Research Design The research will be conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. On qualitative approach interviews and focus group discussion will be used. In some cases quantitative approach in form of questionnaire will be used. 3.2. Research Site The research will be conducted at Emcisweni C.D.S.S. The school has been chosen because it is a victim of dropout of girls despite the bursary programme which is solely for a girl child. 3.3. Population The people that will be i...