ARBA MINCH UNVERSITTY

COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCINNCES

PROPOSAL FOR FACTOR THAT AFFECTING FEMALE STUDENT
PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION IN THE CASE OF ALLE WOREDA PRIMARY
SCHOOL,

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS

COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION OF DATABASE

COURSE CODE: COMP (2053)

NAME: ZEYITU ZELELO ID NO: RNS/1032/10

SUBMITTED TO ARBA MINCH, ETHIOPIA DEC 201

ENAYEW TAKELE

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1Table of Contents Page
ARBA MINCH UNVERSITTY i
Exclusive summary iii
CHAPTER ONE 1
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background of the study 1
1.2 Statement of the problem 2
1.3 The scope of the study 2
1.4 Objectives of the Study 2
1.4.1 The general Objective 2
1.4 The specific Objectives 3
1.5 Significance of the study 3
CHAPTER TWO 4
2. LITERATURE REVIEW 4
2.1 Conceptual Framework and Definitions 4
2.1.2 Socio-economic condition 4
2.1.3 Socio-cultural customs and beliefs 5
2.1.4 Long distance from the School 6
2.1.5 Absent of female teacher 6
2.1.6 Effect of early Marriage 7
2.1.7 Educational background of parents 8
3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 9
3.1 Conclusions 9
3.2 Recommendations 9
REFERENCES 10

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 Exclusive summary
Education is a tool to enable societies to make all rounded participation in development process.
The participation of females in socio-economic programs especially depends on their
educational background. The females’ participation gap in education is wide in developing
countries, one of which is Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the developing countries with low females’
participation in education. The results of the study showed that factors that influences on the
females’ participation in education are; parents education, parent attitude towards female
education, long distance from school, absent of female teacher and effect of early marriage.
These were the major reasons for passiveness of female participation in education in the study
area. According to the study, the following should be improved females’ participation in Shape
primary school, in Alle, woreda .Building primary schools at reasonable distances. These would
help to increase females’ participation in education. In short, the study incorporated all the
above points clearly in detail.

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 CHAPTER ONE
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
In many places around the world, girls receive much less schooling than boys [schaffner
2004:12]. For example studies in the enrolment of female students in developing countries and
particular in Africa [king,1991:Hyde:1993, Kane: 2004] indicates that small number of girls
usually studies. The people movement for human rights (PDHRhttp://pdhre,2005), also stated
that:- despite wide spread agreement that all people have fundamental right to education ,100
million children, at least 60% of them girls, do not have access to primary education. Nine
hundred sixty million adults in the world are illiterate and more than 2/3 of them are women and
girls are continue to face discrimination of all level of education among the developing
countries there is a considerable variation in the rate of female participation in education . In
Africa countries, especially in sub Saharan Africa the job is very wide. I According to Cone
(2004:3 ) current trend in sub-Saharan Africa reflects a predictable pattern previously emerging
in other regions (under less difficult circumstances), a widening of gender jobs as enrollment
increases from a very low base could be a temporary phenomena . The pattern of enrollment and
participation of Alle Woreda women in education is similar to that money African country.

Statistics revels that the number of female students enrolled in elementary, secondary and higher
education is not equal of male students. For example, female students’ enrollment in primary (1-
8) and secondary (9-10) accounted for 69.1% and 45.9% in 2004 and 2005 academic year
respectively (MOE, 2006). In other words gender parity index (GPI) ,which is the ratio of
female to male enrollment rated , of the same year , shows that GPI is 0.8 of the national level
.This indicates that girl’s proportion is lower than that of boys . According to world development
indicators [UNDP:2001] , adult illiteracy rate for males in Alle woreda for the year 2004 and
2005 are 54% and 46% , while that of female are 90% and 85% respectively. This revels that
though more than half of for males for several years. Moreover, female enrollment has been
characterized by urban-rural and regional disparity. For example, in 2008, academic year female
student’s enrollment is accounted for45% and boys are 55% .This shows that the lower of female

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enrollment for studies. This raises the issue that the role of education and female participation
analyzed and studied.

1.2 Statement of the problem

Education is important for both males and females. Because, both female and males are educated
persons may be useful to improve their health, skills, knowledge, and capability for productive
work. The proposal tries to study the factor that affects female participation in education in Alle
woreda and the answer the following questions.
1. What are the factors that affect females’ participation in education of shape primary
school?
2. How much their parents give attention for female on their participation in education at
shape primary school?
3. Is the studying costs have pressure on participation of female in school?
4. How to improve female participation in education?

1.3 The scope of the study

The study mainly focused Shape primary school grade (7th and 8th) female students. The study
will use to know the factors that affect females’ participation in education.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

1.4.1 The general Objective

The general objective of this study was to indentify factors that affect females' participation in
education of shape primary schools, Alle woreda.

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 1.4 The specific Objectives

 To identify the factors which affects females’ participation in education in Shape

primary school;

 To indentify some solutions of factor that affect female students.

 To teach and to aware their parents if there is negative attitude towards female
participation on education.

 To provide information’s or directions for future studies.

 To provide information’s the usefulness of education.

1.5 Significance of the study

The researcher is to improve the factor that affects participation of female students on their
education. This study is may be significance for

 To give information for female students regarding to their problems on education.

 To improve the enrollment of female in education.

 It helps to minimize problems of females on participation of education.

 To take correct measurements for the factors that affects females’ participation in
education.

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 1.6 Cost analysis

At this time of work proposal time is lost and some problem are occurred such as some
respondents cannot able to share appropriate response and also respondents are not voluntary to
that affects participation of student on their education. Lack of internet service and some
materials i.e. computer, flash and lack of income for working this proposal projects.

CHAPTER TWO
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Conceptual Framework and Definitions
Many factors affect enrollment rate of students. These factors are more likely reflected on
females' education. Among the factors that are affecting females' participation in education are
socio-economic condition of parents, parents wants for their daughter's labor, distance from
home to school/or availability of schools, presence of female teachers, school environment
related factors, political and institutional factors, religious outlook of parents, engagement of
females in early marriage, levels of education of the parents and parents attitudes towards
females' education.

2.1.2 Socio-economic condition

Socio-economic condition of the family is one of the factors that can affect parent's decision to
send a child to school. According to Kane (2004:65), there are two types of costs of schooling,
direct cost of schooling including, tuition and cost, the cost of books, uniforms and supplies,
required by the school, the cost of transportation, lodging and board required for attending the
school. The other cost is opportunity costs or indirect cost. It may be higher wages for child labor
in families with more productive farms or business and in families more dependent on children,

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and other expenses are the major hindrance for the parents not to educate or remove children
particularly girls from school. King and Hill (1993:24) pointed out that unless the expected
returns to sending daughters to school do not exceed the cost of doing so, female education as an
investment becomes UN attractive to parents.

Dropout rates vary considerably from country to country. Evidences show that on average, 9.6
percent of girls, in low- income counties leave primary schools before finishing, compared with
8.2 percent of boys. In sub-Saharan Africa as a whole and in the Middle East and North Africa,
the dropout rate is higher for girls than for boys (King and Hill 1993:6).The literature suggests
those teachers' attitudes; behaviors and teaching practices have significant implications for
females’ persistence and academic achievement and attainment. Teachers' attitudes towards their
students are a reflection of the broader societal biases about the role of women in society and the
academic capacity of girls (Odaga and Heneveld, 1995:31).

2.1.3 Socio-cultural customs and beliefs

Socio-cultural customs and beliefs influence decision to enrollments of girls in school. From this
point of view, Herz and others (1991:251) stated that girls are expected to have special physical
protection. The findings of the study made in Ghana indicated that demand for education varies
according to the religious differences of parents (Canagarajush and Coulomb, 1997 cited in Kane
2004:74). The study further indicated that Christian parents believe that all children should go to
school than non-Christian parents who favor sending only sons or none. In view of these schools,
Christianity stresses the importance of literacy, since literacy reduces the significance of local
beliefs, and thus favors females' schooling.

Girls in Africa and, in fact, in almost every region of the world work more than boys, regardless
of whether they are in school and of whether adult women are present and working in the
household (Kane 2004:67). The importance of girls' labor for agricultural, domestic and
marketing tasks has been well documented. When it comes to childcare, girls are more likely to
be involved than boys are. And children in rural areas spend more time doing physical works
than that of in urban areas. Bowman and Anderson (1982:22) and UNESCO (2003:122), proved
that the time spent by girls working in the garden, fetching water and fire wood, carrying or
helping in marketing activities, or doing home processing products for sale can be especially

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important in poorer families where the perception of benefit from the schooling of girls are
dimmer. From this point, it is possible to conclude that girls are the main sources of income for
their family especially for poorest ones, and the need for their physical labor (income generating
activities) is often given priority over their education.

2.1.4 Long distance from the School

Furthermore, the World Bank (1991:29) in the study in Egypt found that the location of a school
within 1 km of a community resulted in an enrollment rate of 94 percent for boys and 74 percent
for girls. It also showed that as the distance increases to 2 km, boys’ enrollment fell only slightly
to 90 percent, while girls’ enrollment plummeted to 64 percent. Similar study in Ghana revealed
that a long distance to primary school significantly deters girls' enrollment and the closer the
secondary school the more likely children are to be sent to primary school. Evidences showed
that location of secondary schools (especially for girls) was more inconsistent than location of
primary schools, and the catchments areas for girls of secondary schools (especially, if boarding)
were typical as large as for boys but fewer for girls than boys attended from the Remote areas
(Bowman and Anderson 1982:23). Most of Alle woreda primary second cycle and secondary
schools in side are long distance from the students' homes. The dispersed population and the
topography of the land coupled with long distance have a great impact on the degree of
participation of females in education.

2.1.5 Absent of female teacher

According to Bowman and Anderson (1982:20), in all aspects of girls' school, the availability of
female teacher is salient as both an instrument and a product. Girls having women teachers can
speed up formation of a cadre of female teachers. The presence of female teachers in the
teaching staff can attract girls to learn by providing a guarantee to parents to enroll their
daughters. Barbara Harz and others (1991:30) stated that Kerale, state has highest female literacy
and enrollment rates of all states due to large number of female teachers. In India over 60 percent
of teacher are women, compared with fewer than 20 percent in Bihard and Uttar Pradesh, which
have the lowest female enrollment rates. Similarly, the findings of the study on association
between enrollment and sex of teacher in Iran revealed that in districts where teachers were
predominantly male, female enrollment was low (Bowman and Anderson, 1982:26). The study

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made in Nepal also indicated that schools that have higher number of female teachers have
higher girls' school enrollment (Kasaju and Manandhar, 1985:331). The shortage of female
teachers as well as female civil servants, in addition to the lack of infrastructure can frustrate
both parents and female students to enroll. This can affect the participation of female students in
education.

2.1.6 Effect of early Marriage

Marriage on female participation in education, several studies affirmed that it has a considerable
share in retarding the participation of females in education. In the developing countries, parents
are positive about marriage and feel that girls are born to marry and to have children. According
to UNESCO (2003:123), where female autonomy is unstable, early marriage is used as a means
of securing daughters' futures. Data from India for 1996 show that 38 percent of girls aged 15-19
were married. In rural areas of Albania and Tajikistan it is not uncommon for poor families to
endorse the early marriage of girls to lighten the family’s economic burden.

According to Almaz (1991:6), in some part of Ethiopia, about 43 percent of the girls were
married between 11 and 15 years of age and about 7 percent were married when 10 or 11 years
old. In view of many scholars, such early marriage brings forward not only the time of
motherhood but also hinders their schooling.

Labor demand by parent: girls’ participation in education is also affected by their labor demand
by parent (to help at home). According to the World Bank (1991:26), throughout most of sub-
Saharan Africa and south Asia, the heavy work burden of rural women may force them to keep
their daughters at home to help with care of younger siblings, time consuming tasks on the farm,
and such household chores as cleaning, cooking and collecting fuel. Most girls from poor
families spend substantial amount of time running the household. Study by UNESCO (2003:122)
states that in Ethiopia, Guinea and Tanzania girls are occupied with domestic work, such as
looking after siblings, preparing and cooking food, cleaning the house, and fetching water and
fire wood are reasons for leaving school early.

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 2.1.7 Educational background of parents

Educational background of parents especially mothers has a bearing on the academic

achievement and participation of female students (Genet 1998:33). According to Hill and King
(1993:33), and Hyde (1993:113), African women bear large part of the burden of educating their
children. Their own level of education and command of resources are important factors in their
ability to keep their children in school. The studies showed that households headed by educated
females are more likely to send girls as well as boys to school and to keep them there longer than
households headed by uneducated females or by males. This suggests that mother’s education
has key influence on the participation of daughters in schooling. Perhaps, the mothers also serve
as role models to their daughter.

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CHAPTER THREE

3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

3.1 Conclusions
Based on the above result and conclusion points where conclude on factor affect female
participation in education are effect of early marriage, long distance from school, absent of
female teacher, parent attitude and parent educational level are the major difficulties to female
Student participation in Alle primary school.

3.2 Recommendations
Based on the major findings and conclusions the recommendations suggested.

 To make the society and parents aware of the benefit of educating females, it is good to
conduct discussions and meetings with parents in the woreda.
 It is also important to broadcast through mass media the problem of female students and
their solutions effectively. So that girls can aspire for and work toward continuing their
education and benefit from their education.
 In order to stop the causes for low female participation at primary schools, policy
makers and concerned bodies should take measures to inverse the problem.
 To reduce the long distance to schools for female students there should be primary
schools at reasonable distances. The schools must also improve achievements and
learning materials for gender bias.
 In the study area, (Alle complete primary school), early marriage were the major
problem to females ‘participation in education. Therefore, the woreda administration
and police office, should take serious measures on early marriages.

Finally, to increase the participation of females in education there should be equal division of
labor for both sexes, reducing girls' dependence on males, and involving parents in school
management will help for the increment of females' participation in education. Also the
government bodies should help them.

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REFERENCES

Almaz Zewdie (1991), "Women in Primary and Secondary school Education”, Gender Issues in
Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Institute of Ethiopian Studies AAU
Bluman Auan G. Elementary statistics step by step approach 5th edition
Hyde K.A.L (1989), Improving women's education in sub- Saharan Africa A review of the
literature Washington D.C.
The World Bank, (1993), Sub –Sahara Africa Women’s education in developing Countries
Barriers, Benefits and policies world Bank
Washington D.C.
King, Elizabeth M. and Aunne, Hill (1993), Women’s Education in Developing
Countries: An Overview, Women Education in Developing Countries Benefits
Mandhar (1985), "Impacts of parents literacy of school enrolment and retention of children the
case of Nepal".
King, E. M (1991), Educating Girls and women investing in Development World Bank
Washington D.C.
Kane, E. (2004), Girls’ Education in Africa Region Human, Development Sectors.
MEDaC/WAO (2001), Gender perspective Guide line/checklist for
Program/project planning in Ethiopia Addis Ababa.
MOE (2005), Education statistics Annual abstract 1995 E.C,/2003/04/AA,Emis Moe.
Schaffner (2004), the determinants as schooling investment among primary school aged children
in Ethiopia human development sector Africa Region.
World Bank (1990), Primary Education: A World Bank Policy Paper, Washington D.C: The
World Bank. (1991), Women in Development: A Progress Report on the World Bank.
UNESCO (2003), Gender and Education for the entire leap to equality EFA Global
Monitoring Report 2003/4 France.

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