Research consultancy

SOCIAL FACTORS INFLUENCING PUPILS RETENTION IN UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION SCHOOLS

IN HARUGAALE SUB COUNTY BUDIBUDGYO DISTRICT

CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION

This chapter gives background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives, research questions, significance, scope, and limitations of the study.

1.1. Background to the study

Education is the driving force behind any strong economy and a prerequisite for social and economic growth. It creates opportunities and provides societies with a better educated and skilled work force which is necessary for stimulating development (Govender etal 2010). In an effort to provide education for all, Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy has become popular in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for achieving Education for All (EFA) since the mid-1990s (Avenstrup et al, 2010).

Despite its recent expansion, most literature reviewed show that previous attempts to achieve UPE in developing countries faced problems in its education policies such as: unclear mechanisms, and declined quality of education (Mikiko and Keiichi, 2008). SSA, of which Uganda belongs, is       the region with the highest levels of illiteracy in the world and many pupils are denied their fundamental right to education. According to the United Nations, moan 40 million children, almost half of the continent’s primary school age pupils are not in school of which about two-thirds of them are female. Fewer than half of Africa’s children get a chance to finish primary school (Go vender etal 2010).

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural organization’s (UNESCO) global monitoring report released in 2004 which tracks countries,  progress on UPE achievement found out that 22 countries in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) were far from achieving the Education For All (EFA) goals because primary enrolments are low, gender ratios highly unequal, widespread illiteracy, poor educational quality and high school dropouts. A scenario of low primary school completion in these countries persists despite the effort of universalizing education through UPE.

1.2. Education system in Uganda

The current Ugandan education structure has been in place since 1963 and came as a result of recommendation made by the Castle Commission. The country’s formal education system starts with seven years of primary school (ages 6-12), which is ‘supposedly’ compulsory and free according to the current universal primary education program me. It is followed by six years of primary education for ages 13-18, which is also free and compulsory, though the last two for S.5 and 6, Government is under way to make it universal. This level is succeeded by three to five years of university or tertiary education depending on the profession selected by the individual (Kakuru, 2003).

Primary education is central to the whole system and to the life of citizens in general. It enables individuals to acquire literacy, numeric and communication skills, as well as developing cultural, moral and spiritual values (MOES 1999). It is for this reason that primary school education has been made “free” through UPE programme.

1.3. Evolution of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda

In a bid to promote free education an education policy review commission was inaugurated in 1987 to review all sectors of education in the country. This commission after extensive consultation with the stake holders  promulgated the idea of universal primary education (UPE , The commission recognize that only when every child is enrolled at the right age and does not leave school without completing of primary education would all citizens be equipped with basic education they would need to live a full and productive life.

Universal Primary Education was also seen as a way of helping to transform the society, fostering great unity among the people high moral standards and accelerated growth of the economy the policy objectives of providing UPE in Uganda were to establish, provide and maintain quality education to promote human resource development and to make basic education equitable and relevant to the nation hence ensuring that education is affordable to the majority. These ideas were sensitized to the white paper.

In education in 1992 this ultimately lead to the introduction of free universal primary education in 1997 initially the provision of free primary education for up to four children per family however  the  government quickly realized that this restriction would be too completed to implemented therefore the a decision was meant to change a policy so that all pupils wishing to access education would qualify for free tuition to concretize the policy capitation grant was introduced and it was to be used for the purchasing of instructional material such as text books with the amount contingent on the number of people enrolled in each school. a school facilitation grant was also introduced to be used for infrastructure namely the construction of class rooms and teachers houses with the decentralization policy in place the financing arrangement allowed funds to be transmitted by the central government to the local govewrnment ( via the CAO, who in turn would pass the money to the school.

The introduction of UPE accompanied by government commitment, including political leadership resulted into a surge in primary school enrolment from 2.7 million pupils in 1996 to 5.3 million in 1997 and to 7.1 million in 2005.  The ever increasing primary school enrolment has consequently led to improvements in Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER). Whereas GER in the decade preceding 19976 had increased by only 39%, by 2004 GER had risen by 104.42%, (Bategeka et al., 2004). This suggests that Uganda is on the verge of attaining the UPE Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in as far as access is concerned.   However, much as primary school enrolment has been a success, the concern now is with regard to the internal efficiency of primary education that is the ability to retain pupils until they graduate from primary school. The incidence of pupils dropping out of school is palpable in primary six and primary five which is 34.9 percent and 22.1 percent respectively (NSDS, 2004). The comprehensive evaluation of basic education in Uganda report (2005) asserted that UPE dropout has escalated from 4.7% in 2002 to 6.1% in 2005.  It further notes that of the Net Enrollment Ratio (NER) for boys and girls is 93.01%, however 55% of boys and 54.6% of girls reach primary four, while 31.2% of the boys and 27.7% of girls reach primary seven.

This is common on the side of girls. The support of parents also plays a vital role in education of girls. To some parents, girls are not valued as boys and as such some parents do not see any need of educating girls. At an early stage boys are encouraged to be more independent while girls are expected to be more passive conformists to spend time helping their mothers.

According to the Ministry of Education Sports records , 2014  the government of Uganda allocated hundreds of billions to the Ministry of Education in order to ensure the development of education by improving on the quality and retention of pupils and retention and this was further evidenced by the improved budgetary allocation where as in 2011/2012 budget education comprised 15% of the total government expenditure by 2012/2013 it had reached 17% MoES, 2014 but despite the numerous effort to invest heavily in the ministry there is still low retention of pupils ins schools, further more according to the records the Bundibugyo district education development project April 2010 affirms that the average number of pupils per year falls from 153 to only 50 in primary seven, (Bundibugyo district records, 2013( , basing on this background this study therefore seeks to investigate into the social factors that influence pupil retention in UPE schools. with specific reference to Harugaale sub-county Bundibugyo district.

1.4. Statement of the problem

Pupil retention is a major problem in primary schools in Bundibugyo district for primary going pupils especially in UPE schools. According to Bundibugyo district educational road map, 2010 majority of the pupils do not complete their primary education cycle In 2004 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), in Bundibugyo district, out of 3500 candidates who had registered, only 2545 sat at the end of the year leaving 955 candidates without sitting the Primary Leaving Examinations. This could be due to the fact that there is poor retention of students at record low percentage of students,( Uganda National Examinations Board results, UNEB, 2004).

According g to the school records below,

Table:1 showing the number of pupils who finished school at the school of Izhahura, Bumpoboli, Kasulange, Buhundu and Masule in the years of 2008-2014

Graph: 1 showing the number of pupils who finished primary seven in schools of Izhahura, Bumpoboli, Kasulenga, bunundu, masule in the years of 2007-2013

From the above table it is therefore clear that there is very low retention of pupils in primary school in Harugaale sub-county, this has therefore prompted the researcher to carry out research on the social factors that influence pupils retention in UPE schools in Harugaale sub-county.

1.5. Purpose of the study

The overall purpose of this study is to identify and explain the social factors that influence retention of pupils in primary schools under universal primary education in Harugaale sub-county in Bundibugyo district.

1.6. Specific objectives

1. To identify social factors that influence pupils’ retention in universal primary education schools.
2. To examine the challenges of pupil retention in harugaale sub-county.

• To indentify the strategies aimed at retaining pupils in primary schools so as to complete the primary cycle.

1.7       Research Questions

1. What are the social factors that influence pupils’ retention in universal primary education schools?
2. What are the challenges of pupil retention in harugaale sub-county?

• What are the strategies aimed at retaining pupils in primary schools so as to complete the primary cycle.

1.8  Scope of the Study

1.8.1 Study Scope

The study will cover the social factors that influence pupils’ retention in primary schools, the challenges of pupil retention, and the strategies aimed at retaining pupils in primary schools so as to complete the primary cycle.

1.8.2 Geographical Scope

The study will be carried out at Harugaale sub-county in Bundibugyo district.

1.8.3 Time scope

The period of data to be considered in the organization will be from 2012-2014 and period of body of knowledge in reviewing literature will be from 2000-2014, while the study will be carried out from May to October 31^st 2014.

1.9       Significance of the Study

1. It is hoped that the study might provide guidance to the government in formulation of policies, regarding pupil retention in schools.
2. It is hoped that the study will add to the already existing literature on challenges of pupil retention in schools

• The study may add information to the already existing literature on the challenges of pupil retention in schools.

1. The study might stimulate further research into the area of Universal Primary Education.
2. The study might help the government strengthen policies on child retention in schools.