research proposal on causes of school dropout in uganda

Schools out: Why northern Uganda’s girls and boys are not getting an education and what to do about it

August 2019

Violent armed conflicts can have long-lasting negative impacts on individual human capital, including educational attainment, health outcomes, and labor market opportunities.  This SLRC working paper examines education dropout and presents findings from research examining the sharp decrease in girls and boys school attendance that was witnessed between 2013–2018 in northern Uganda.

The study finds that:

• Between 2013 and 2018, primary school attendance declined for girls and boys by approximately 20%.
• Enrollment and attendance decreased for girls after age eight and for boys after age 13.
• Girls have the highest rates of school dropout and failure to regularly attend across upper primary, secondary and tertiary education.
• Individuals who experienced war injuries, abduction, forced recruitment by the rebels or suffered from other ill health were less likely to continue with their education or afford the schooling for their children.

The data presented in this study is drawn from a large-scale representative panel survey across Lango and Acholi sub regions, northern Uganda.  It also draws upon in-depth qualitative research with a sample of households drawn from the SLRC panel survey.

The Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC) is a six-year, eight-country research study, led by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London. SLRC investigates livelihoods, access to basic services, and social protection in fragile and conflict-affected situations. The UK Department for International Development (DfID), Irish Aid, and the European Community (EC) funded the research. The Feinstein International Center leads SLRC research in South Sudan and Uganda in addition to its participation in the Sierra Leone research.

ASSOCIATED PROJECT

Children and Youth , Conflict , Education , Gender

PUBLICATION TYPE

Working Papers

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Girl-Child School Dropout in Uganda: The Adult Education Model as a Solution

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Main Article Content

Despite global efforts to achieve universal education and eliminate gender disparity, Uganda has struggled to meet these targets. The nation has witnessed a significant increase in school dropouts, especially among girls, with alarming statistics revealing that over a million learners dropped out before completing primary education in 2022. High costs of education, cultural norms, and gendered expectations are among the primary reasons for this trend. The repercussions of dropping out are particularly severe for girls, leading to a myriad of societal challenges. This paper introduces the Adult Education Model, based on the principles of andragogy, as a potential solution to address the girl-child school dropout crisis in Uganda. The model emphasizes self-direction, real-world problem-solving, and the utilization of past experiences, making it particularly suited for mature learners. Implementing this model through pilot programs, with the collaboration of community leaders, NGOs, and governmental bodies, can offer a tailored educational approach for these girls. By adopting this model, Uganda can provide an inclusive, adaptable, and empathetic educational environment, ensuring a brighter future for every girl.

Article Details

Shaimah nalubega, international islamic university malaysia.

Postgraduate Student, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Kulliyyah of Education

Rukia Kalanzi, Inter-Religious Council of Uganda

Program Specialist, Peace and Leadership Institute

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Money, a drain of educational opportunity: a microregional study of school dropouts in mpigi, uganda.

1. Introduction: Universal Primary Education

2. upe in uganda, 2.1. achievements of upe in uganda, 2.2. student dropouts in uganda, 3. reasons for school dropouts explored by previous studies, 3.1. low household income, 3.2. educational costs, 3.3. gender discrimination, 3.4. religion, 3.5. commute time, 3.6. education levels of parents, 3.7. other household characteristics, 4. research methods, 4.1. research site, 4.2. sample and data, 4.3. variables and analytical methods, 6. concluding discussion, author contributions, conflicts of interest.

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Kim, J.; Jun, M. Money, a Drain of Educational Opportunity: A Microregional Study of School Dropouts in Mpigi, Uganda. Sustainability 2022 , 14 , 5875. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105875

Kim J, Jun M. Money, a Drain of Educational Opportunity: A Microregional Study of School Dropouts in Mpigi, Uganda. Sustainability . 2022; 14(10):5875. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105875

Kim, Jangsaeng, and Miyang Jun. 2022. "Money, a Drain of Educational Opportunity: A Microregional Study of School Dropouts in Mpigi, Uganda" Sustainability 14, no. 10: 5875. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105875

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School Dropout in Rural Uganda: Stakeholder Perceptions on Contributing Factors and Solutions

Josephine Nabugoomu

School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Contributor Roles: Josephine Nabugoomu is the sole author. The author read and approved the final manuscript.

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This theory-based qualitative study reports perceptions on the contributing factors of school dropouts, and recommendations for action and areas of capacity building to reduce the high rate of school dropouts in Uganda. The study which interviewed 101 adolescents, family and community members from rural Budondo sub-county (Jinja district), was based on constructs of the social cognitive theory and analyzed by thematic analysis using Atlas-ti (version7.5.4). Contributing factors include: poor academic performance, failure to cope with school, lack of social skills to cope with life’s challenges, early employment, early pregnancy, lack of parental care and role models, child-headed families, media influence, and drug abuse, poor payment of teachers, poverty among parents, child labor, long distances to school, family gardening, and lack of school/personal effects. Recommendations are: training students in social skills, involvement of national and local leaders in motivating learners, sensitization of parents and community, accessible sexual and reproductive health services, use of school counselors, involvement of the resident of Uganda in discouraging school dropouts, enforcement of laws, compulsory handcraft skills training for high school students in lower classes, increased school budgets and teachers’ salaries, income generation skills, job creation for parents, provision of school meals, co-curricular activities, accessible schools, and provision of free sanitary towels. Areas for capacity building are: use of school counselors and trained learner-leaders to motivate learners, training community leaders to handle challenges of learner, reform of school curriculum for vocational training, use of school gardens for skilling and school food, and training learners/teachers in making sanitary towels. Parental/community support to students, introduction of co-curricular and vocational skills in schools may help reduce school dropouts.

School Dropout, Factors, Handcraft Skills, Social Skills, Social Cognitive Theory

Josephine Nabugoomu. (2019). School Dropout in Rural Uganda: Stakeholder Perceptions on Contributing Factors and Solutions. Education Journal , 8 (5), 185-195. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20190805.13

Josephine Nabugoomu. School Dropout in Rural Uganda: Stakeholder Perceptions on Contributing Factors and Solutions. Educ. J. 2019 , 8 (5), 185-195. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20190805.13

Josephine Nabugoomu. School Dropout in Rural Uganda: Stakeholder Perceptions on Contributing Factors and Solutions. Educ J . 2019;8(5):185-195. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20190805.13

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Ugandan children drop out of school as fees soar post-COVID

Bridget Nabawanuka, 7, sits with her mother Agnes Nangabi at their food kiosk in Kampala. March 2022. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Hedwig Arinaitwe

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On top of rising poverty and child marriage, higher school costs are deterring low-income families from sending students back to class in the East African nation

Ugandan children drop out as schools hike fees

Government sued over failure to regulate charges

Lawyers say 'privatisation' fuels inequality

By Hedwig Arinaitwe and Emma Batha

KAMPALA, April 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Like many children in Uganda, Bridget Nabawanuka was excited about seeing her friends again after the world's longest pandemic school closure, but a steep hike in fees meant she never made it back to the classroom.

The seven-year old, who now works at her mother's food stall in the capital, Kampala, is among a rising number of children who are dropping out because cash-strapped parents are unable to pay soaring bills from state and private schools.

"She asks me every morning when she will go back to school," said Bridget's mother, Agnes Nangabi, who hopes to save enough to send her daughter to a different state school with lower fees.

Primary and secondary school education is meant to be free in the East African nation, but most government schools say they do not receive enough state funding to cover running costs, in turn charging for everything from exam fees to toilet paper.

Many headteachers have ignored an Education Ministry plea not to hike fees above pre-pandemic levels, said two human rights lawyers who have filed suit against the government to demand it regulate fees – something it promised to do in 2018.

"Very many children have and are dropping out, both as a result of the decimation of incomes ... and as a knock-on effect of the fee hikes," said one of the lawyers, Andrew Karamagi, describing the situation as an "unregulated privatisation".

Asked to comment on the lawsuit, which is due back in court on April 25, the Education Ministry said it was finalising regulations about the charging of fees that would include penalties for schools flouting the rules.

The ministry does not oppose schools charging fees but they must make a formal application to increase them, said spokesperson Mugimba Dennis.

Government schools typically charge about 200,000 shillings ($56) per term, while private school fees can range from 500,000 to 1 million shillings.

Nangabi, who has two other children and is the family's sole breadwinner, earns 15,000 to 30,000 shillings a day, and could not afford the 170,000-shilling fee for Bridget's school – up 20% since before the pandemic.

Karamagi said the "extortionist" school fees would have an unequal impact on the poorest families.

"Education, which should be an equaliser, has become a separator (or) stratifier of society," he said.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The legal action comes amid wider concerns about the long-term impact of lengthy pandemic school closures, with U.N. children's agency UNICEF warning of a "lost generation" unless governments take urgent steps to get students back on track.

Economists have also raised fears that the education crisis could leave countries like Uganda without the skilled workforce they need for their future development.

UNICEF said about one in 10 children in Uganda did not report back to school in January, while the National Planning Authority (NPA), a government agency, estimated last year that up to 30% of children could drop out due to COVID-19 fallout.

Factors include rising poverty, children taking jobs, early marriages and teenage pregnancies, which have soared during classroom closures.

Increased fees have been a further deterrent for low-income families to send their children back to school, according to the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), a civil society organisation and co-plaintiff in the legal action.

At Kyambogo College School, a government-aided school in central Uganda, headteacher Hellen Twongyeirwe said the increase in fees at many schools was linked to the rising cost of living.

Private schools - which outnumber government schools and are favoured by many parents - have raised their fees too, and heads have also blamed inflation for pushing up overheads.

POOR CHILDREN SHUT OUT

In Kampala, Bridget now spends her days helping her mother sell food at her street stand.

"When the kids in the neighbourhood return from school, she's inquisitive about the new things they've learnt," her mother said.

Rinsing plates at the kiosk, Bridget said she loved science and wanted to be a doctor, adding that she was working hard to help her mother save up so she could return to school.

Other students have already given up hope of going back.

Adella Asiimwe, 15, dropped out in February after her school in Isingiro in western Uganda raised its term fees by 20% to 350,000 shillings. Her parents decided to prioritise the primary education of her younger siblings.

"I looked at my friends returning to class and felt envious," said Adella, who had hoped to become a journalist but now sells TV decoders on the streets of Kampala.

"I wished my parents could afford school, but I knew they had nothing left."

($1 = 3,552.0000 Ugandan shillings)

Related stories:

FACTBOX: The world's pandemic education crisis 

In the year to end child labour, COVID wreaks havoc  

Bridging Africa's digital divide: The rise of community internet  

(Writing by Emma Batha in London @emmabatha; Editing by Helen Popper. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)

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CAUSES OF SCHOOL DROPOUTS IN BUSOGA SUB REGION ACASE STUDY OF IMANYIRO SUB-COUNTY MAYUGE DISTRICT

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A key word in this report is performance in primary education. It is used to refer to a pupil's academic achievement in the teaching and learning process. In the primary school seven-year cycle in Uganda, a indicator of this performance is the grade achievement in the national Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) administered by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). In the context of this study, pupil achievement is perceived as not simply being a matter and result of what happens in school. Although schools can and do make a significant difference, research has identified numerous factors which affect pupil success. Seven categories of variables identified as affecting pupil achievement are presented in this study, namely: (1) Teacher (2) School, (3) Pupils, (4) Infrastructure and teaching-learning materials (5) organizational and management practices (6) the Parents and community (7) Social Incentives, and (8) SocioEconomic Conditions. Analyses of the examination results for the Primary Leaving Examinations of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) in Uganda showed that academic achievement at the end of the seven-year primary education cycle in the Eastern-based Teso region of Uganda is very poor, and consistently so, compared to the Busoga region of the country. To determine the factors that may have caused this poor academic performance, a survey research design using descriptive methodology with a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was implemented. Six district education officials, 24 head teachers, 83 teachers and 149 pupils were interviewed in 24 schools in Teso region. An additional eight schools from Busoga region where eight head teachers, 48 teachers and 73 pupils were similarly studied to provide a comparative picture of performance. A number of instruments were developed targeting 24 selected schools in the Teso region were responded to by the District Education Officials in the eight districts and 8 schools in the two districts of Jinja and Iganga in Busoga region. The respondents were 32 head teachers of the schools; teachers of primary (standard) 3, 5 and 7; primary (standard) 3, 5, and 7 pupils; 32 parents and community members and one Deputy Principal in charge of Outreach in a core Primary Teacher's Colleges in the Teso region. A checklist of infrastructure, availability of instructional materials and other educational facilities in the primary schools was also used. Teaching delivery as a factor was assessed using a lesson observation guide that facilitated assessment of lesson preparation (schemes of work and lesson planning), lesson introduction, lesson development, methods used and the nature of classroom interactions, use of learning materials and teaching aids, classroom management skills, assessment of student work and professional conduct of teachers in class. The factors that were found to disproportionately affect primary pupils' achievement in the Teso region in comparison to pupils in Busoga schools were: teacher characteristics – in particular-poor teacher knowledge of the subject matter in the disciplines such as science and mathematics and lack of commitment to teaching both of which manifest in poor teaching abilities and impact on student achievement; lack of preparation by teachers; large class sizes; poor school facilities; lack of or 2 minimal homework for pupils; lack of reading culture among teachers and pupils alike; lack of sound and efficient leadership in the school administration; and inadequate amount of time allocated to teaching and learning. These observations bore high significance in the Teso region rural schools relative to urban schools. Busoga region demonstrated better standing irrespective of school location in most of these factors compared to the Teso schools. Also observed were other factors, including policy-related, environmental and social/parental factors affecting pupils' achievement. Suggestions for improvement are made, key ones being provision of committed all-round support to teaching and learning activities in schools and continuous professional development for teachers targeting subject knowledge development as well as pedagogical skills in aspects like cooperative learning, inquiry-based approaches, problem-solving and communication skills.

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This background paper for the UNESCO GMR team draws on a range of resources to provide a synthesis on drop out. The paper focuses on patterns of participation, age-specific drop out rates, equity in drop out rates, and the link between over age enrolment and drop out rates. The paper outlines the main causes of drop out and provides two country case studies, Ghana and Tanzania, to highlight the potential strategies that could be used to address drop out. The paper concludes with our main policy messages

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Declaration I Dennis Twinamasko declare that this research report is a result of my study and has never been presented in any institute of higher learning for any academic reward.

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