Access to, retention and experiences of girls in technical secondary schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the social, cultural and economic characteristics of the girls that have access to technical secondary schools. An attempt was also made to analyse the girls' access to these schools and their retention, dropout rates, and academic performance. In addition, the study investigated the experiences that the girls went through in the technical secondary schools.The sample comprised of ninety girls, sixty boys, twenty-four teachers and twenty parents. The sample sites comprised one rural technical secondary school and one urban technical secondary school. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and a survey of institutional records. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used mutually and complementarily. The study established: that girls were not as accessible to technical secondary schools as boys; girls' access to, or participation in additional mathematics, pure science, industrial arts, and positions of responsibility such as class monitors and captains as well as their retention in the schools were lower than that for boys. The study also found that more girls in the urban technical secondary school not only came from higher socio-economic backgrounds, but also experienced and practised less of gender-stereotypic behaviour than the girls in the rural technical secondary school, both at home and at school.The study concludes with recommendations to the Ministry of education and other concerned authorities and agencies for the achievement of gender equality in technical secondary schools that include gender sensitisation programmes for teachers and school authorities.