The role of parents involvement in girl child primary school completion in selected primary schools in Budaka District: Enablers and Challenges.

Abstract

The study examined the role of parents‘ involvement in girl child primary school completion in selected schools in Budaka district: Enablers and Challenges. It was guided by the following objectives; to establish how parents‘ level of education has enabled girl child primary school completion, to establish how parents‘ type of occupation has enabled girl child Primary school completion and to establish how the parents‘ level of income has enabled girl child primary school completion in Budaka district. The study adapted an exploratory case study design suitable for qualitative approach. The study population was 39 respondents comprising of 3 head teachers, 12 teachers, 3 parents whose children dropped out of school, 3 girl children who dropped out of school, 9 p2 pupils, 9 p6 pupils and the District Education Officer Budaka district. The instruments used to collect data were; interview guides, focus group discussion, and documentary review. The study findings indicated that uneducated parents did not know the value of education and so they did not involve themselves in the schooling of their children, parents with formal occupations had relatively better income and facilitated their children‘s education, parents with informal occupations were poor and this curtailed their parental involvement in the education of their children. Uniquely poor parents saw education as a way to liberate their children from poverty. The recommendations are that; Head teachers through PTA meetings should counsel and sensitize parents about the importance of an educated girl child, government to empower parents with income generating projects and improvement of the social economic status of parents and community members.