Failing at fairness: How schools cheat girls

By Wachira Kigotho

Girls’ enrolment in primary school has been rising in Sub-Saharan Africa, but gender differences are now widest at the secondary education level, according Unesco global report on education.

Besides emerging pockets of boys’ under-achievement in education in countries such as Lesotho, Kenya and South Africa, only 21 per cent of girls attend secondary school in Sub-Saharan Africa, compared to 26 per cent of boys. The issue is that nearly 78 million secondary school age children, most of them girls, are not in high school.

Boys outperform girls in key subjects such as mathematics and science. In last year’s KCSE, boys did better than girls in most of the subjects apart from English, Kiswahili and Christian Religious Education.

The KCSE results confirmed findings of a comprehensive research project on school effectiveness and education quality in 14 countries in Southern and East Africa. The study, under the auspices of the southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality, showed that girls had higher academic achievement in reading skills, while boys had higher educational outcomes in mathematics and science.

Whereas the study was carried out in upper primary educational systems, it seemed most of the indicators prevailed through high school. The researchers examined a wide range of key factors that influence learning such as school location and resources, leadership, inspection, homework, grade repetition and teacher and student absence. Other factors that were investigated included school relationship with the community and parents, extra tuition and behaviour problems.

Consequently, the scenario that has emerged is that most school systems in Sub-Saharan Africa have failed to close the gender gap in learning achievement.

"Gender disparities go beyond schooling," says Dr Ruth Kagia, a director of education at the World Bank.

Access and retention

Commenting on status of girls’ education in developing countries, Kagia says countries in Sub-Saharan African can no longer neglect the education and intellectual advancement of half of their population. Subsequently, the World Bank has called for African countries to erase barriers that hinder girls’ access, retention and achievement.

Top of the agenda is for the countries to increase demand for girls’ education by eliminating tuition fees not only at primary level, but also, in secondary schools. Government are urged to address cultural and social constraints on girls’ education.

In a study, Girls’ Education in the 21st Century: Gender Equality, Empowerment, and Economic Growth, the World Bank says there is urgent need to promote quality of post primary education for girls.

"The issue is that countries with higher levels of female secondary-school enrolment have lower rates of infant mortality, fertility, HIV and Aids and better child nutrition," reports the study.

However concrete policy options for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve access, retention and quality of girls’ schooling at secondary level, lies on their ability and willingness to establish single sex schools and other gender friendly institutions.

Evidence indicates that single sex schools improve girls’ achievement in science and mathematics.

According to Unesco , girls in single-sex classrooms are engaged in learning more of the time, show more cooperative behaviour and identify better with their female classmates than when they are in co-educational classes.

But whereas research in classroom dynamics indicates there are no differences in what boys and girls can learn, experts say there are different ways to engage and teach girls as compared to boys. "Gender differences are crucial in learning," says Unesco.

Discriminate

The issue is that the culture in mixed schools discriminate girl students. Studies carried in Kenya and Zimbabwe indicates bright girls are intimidated by boys and male teachers and often become victims of bullying and sexual harassment.

At high risk are orphans and other girls from low income groups who enjoy limited familial relations and security," says Ms Katarina Tomasevski, the United Nations Special Reporter on the right to education. She says that teenage pregnancy and early marriages are the main obstacles to girls’ retention in school.

Schoolgirls’ safety, social and cultural identity are critical factors that are in favour of policies that would increase single sex schools for girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Recent studies in Nigeria show girls in single sex schools appeared to have confidence and had diminished views of mathematics and science as male domains.

Such is the case in Kenya, where there is almost no difference in performance in all subjects between girls and boys in national and provincial secondary schools that are basically single sex schools. However, academic achievement is radically different in mixed day secondary schools there girls perform dismally in mathematics and science.

According to Dr Tamo Chattopadhay, an educational researcher at New York University and a leading expert on single-sex education, adolescent boys and girls are very sensitive to ‘looking foolish’ in front of their opposite classmates. "Single sex learning can help students to focus and improve their academic achievement," he says.

Subsequently, in single sex settings, girls are given the opportunity to learn new or traditionally male skills without teasing and competition of boys. Physical sciences, mathematics and computers are examples where girls can improve in single sex schools.

Less time

However, in most instances, teachers are to blame for peddling gender stereotypes in education. In Zimbabwe, researchers have observed teachers giving girls less time to think trough their answers. "This aspect sends a message that they are less capable than boys," says Dr Vera Leach, a leading researcher on girls’ barriers to education in Africa.

Worse still school textbooks, art and other teaching in Sub-Saharan Africa focus primarily on men as being the leaders, thinkers and creative minds. In the long run, girls are conditioned to set learning and career goals that are lower than their potential.

But in girl-only learning environments, girls are exposed to more successful female role models.

 

 

 

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