AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE EDUCATIONAL BACKWARDNESS OF RURAL GIRLS IN AFAR REGION: THE CASE OF AYSAITA AND AMIBERA WOREDAS

Abstract

Girls in the pastoralist areas of the Afar region face various barriers in accessing education. This being the case, the existing situations are demanding detailed and continuous assessment of girl’s education in the region in order to devise appropriate schemes and policies to address this important regional issues The objective of this study is thus is to assess factors contributing to the educational backwardness of girls in Afar Region .Accordingly to this study has designed and conducted in line with the above factors to suggest the most successful intervention for the improving girls’ education in Afar region. In order to achieve this general a mixed method approach to data collection was followed using qualitative tools to obtain data from various primary target groups such as girls & boys (aged 6-19), women, teachers, clan and religious leaders, community groups and government offices The study consists of 127 participants from students, educational institutions, clan leaders and community groups of the region. Based on this the findings of the study present that cultural taboo, heavy household workloads such lack of water supply in residential areas that increases expectations of girls’ obligations to do all these has seriously interfered in their education . So that girls’ household responsibilities, parents’ limited awareness of the importance of education, cultural traditions regarding maturity, early marriage, childbirth and poverty represent some of the demand side barriers to girls education. In addition to this , serious Lack of availability of and access to schools, shortage of classrooms, lack of qualified teachers and limited mother-tongue instruction represent some of the supply side barriers to education to mention a few. High attrition of teachers is one of the key challenges affecting the provision of education within the Afar region. High teacher turnover rate is attributable to a lack of basic services and facilities available in the community. Pastoralists with no fixed place of residence are most likely not to enroll their children to school and even if they enroll their children in school it is less likely that they will complete a full academic year. In conclusion, the study has provided REB with initial results and an accurate depiction of the educational system, and perception of that system in the Afar context with major factors contributing to education backwardness of rural girls 38 | Page in afar region. The study has identified significant problems in dropout, repetition, and completion rates and different barriers are affecting girls' education backwardness that negatively influences the move towards achieving girl’s education and gender parity especially in secondary schools. Implications of the outcomes of the study for practice and research are described.