Inhibition of the girl -child from accessing secondary school education: a case study of Ganze sub-county, Kilifi county, Kenya.

Abstract

The girl child education has for sometime now become a major issue in regard to equity in education not only in Kenya, but also in the whole world. This study will examine the factors influencing access to secondary schools girls-child to secondary school education in Ganze district of Kilifi County, Coast Province. The objectives of the study will be to: establish the community beliefs, practices and attitudes inhibiting access of girls to secondary education in Ganze district; explore the economic factors affecting girls access to secondary education in Ganze district of Kilifi County; determine the efforts made Non-Governmental Organizations towards the access of girl-child secondary education in Ganze district of Kilifi County; identify the Government efforts towards increasing the access of the girl-child to secondary education in Ganze district of Kilifi County and investigate the inside school factors influencing the access of girls to secondary education in Ganze district of Kilifi County. The study will use the descriptive survey research design to investigate the factors inhibiting access to secondary education by the girl-child. The study will involve two research instruments for data collection: questionnaires for head teachers and parents!guardians constructed and administered by the researcher and interview schedule for the District Education Officer. Random sampling through balloting will be used in terms of 30 percent from each category selected of the target population which will be obtained from the parents of the students of sampled schools in all the 17 secondary schools in the four divisions of Ganze district,Kilifi County while purposive sampling will be conducted to choose the D.E.D. The researcher wilJ employ both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis where quantitative data will be analyzed through the SPSS while qualitative data will be analyzed based on themes and research question. The findings will help the educational planners and stake holders in education to enhance gender balance in Secondary Schools through improving the rates of transition of the girl-child from Primary to Secondary levels as well as act as an early preparation for women economic empowerment in the area of study and by extension the whole country. The findings will also help in regard to availing the necessary tools and create awareness on the importance of educating girls. The girl child will also benefit immensely from these findings as she will get the opportunity to fairly compete with the boys. The study will contribute to knowledge as it will address equity in education that leads to gender economic empowerment.