Parents’ Contribution to Girl-child Dropout of School in Nsinze Sub-county, Namutumba District, Uganda

Abstract

This study aimed to determine how stakeholders influenced the dropout rates of female students in Uganda’s Nsinze Sub-County, Namutumba District schools. The sample consisted of 278 individuals, representing 442 individuals, including principals, teachers, parents, and students. In this instance, a cross-sectional research technique was employed to formulate and collect answers to the study’s research questions. To enable triangulation of results, the study employed a hybrid approach consisting of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. For each objective, a descriptive method incorporating the use of mean scores to guide analysis was employed. The findings on the role of parents as stakeholders on girl-child school dropout found that parents did not feed their children a nutritious diet, which negatively impacted their ability to concentrate. In addition, parents rarely attend school meetings and thereby lose out on important classroom viewpoints. Finally, many parents failed to provide school materials for their children. In conclusion, teachers do not perform their duties flawlessly in the classroom and school environment in order to reduce the rate of girl-child dropouts. Similarly, parents have abandoned their fundamental obligations of caring for their children in order to assure their enrollment in and completion of school. This is exacerbated by the automatic promotion policy, which has disturbed the old educational system in which neither parents nor teachers have significant responsibility for children. According to the recommendations, teachers should devise mechanisms and create an enabling environment for girls to enroll and remain in school until they complete the primary cycle. This includes avoiding discrimination and establishing a relationship with parents and administrators to collaborate on gender-sensitive issues. It is also suggested that, when politicians are unavailable, the government should strive to involve parents in community-based programmes.