Causes of Girl Child Dropout: A Case Study in Selected Secondary Schools in Kampala District

ABSTRACT The study was occasioned by disequilibrium between high rates of girl child dropouts and low retention of the girl child in secondary school. The study sought to establish underlying factors facilitating or causing this trend. To obtain information, the study applied both qualitative and quantitative methods in the field and the instruments were open and closed questionnaire and observation. The study sampled 110 respondents in all and the target audience were teachers, the girl child and school administrators in private and Government Secondary Schools in Kawempe Division. Study instruments ranged from interviews, documentary reviews, document analysis, and observation. A combination of the above helped the researcher to obtain primary and secondary data. From the field it was established that causes of the girl child dropout were due to poverty, ignorance, weak laws and their enforcement, child labour and negative stereotype against education of the girl child. In the field, the study observed that a lot was owed to the girl child if her retention in school was to be guaranteed; as enrolment of the girl child was incomparably very low. Many parents had difficulty in making provision of their girl child. Society has largely violated and continued to violate all laws relating to the girl child. In the field, the study concluded as thus, the rate of girl child dropout was higher than for boys, and this calls for immediate action. A combination of X several factors worked to reinforce the girl child dropout. Poverty had to be addressed especially at the household level, child labour, early marriages, and parental attitude towards educating the girl child. To over come these shortcomings the study recommended that a special fund be established to help the less privileged female children, orphans and those from poor families keep in school. Labour laws should be reviewed to outlaw all forms of domestic child labour such as housemaids, which accounts a greater toll. Defilement and underage marriage laws should be enforced across the board without selective application.