primary school mothers project - africa educational trust
TRANSCRIPT
Primary School Mothers Project
Pupils at Acokora Primary School
End of project report to the Headley Trust
Report Number: 3
Reporting Period: 1st August 2013 – 31st July 2014
Project Summary
Girls in Northern Uganda are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to education. Many
female teachers fled the region during the 20- ear o fli t ith the Lord’s Resista e Ar , so girls in Northern Uganda face male-dominated schools with poor sanitation facilities and the risk
of abuse, as well as communit attitudes that u der alue girls’ edu atio . As a result, fe er girls in the region finish their primary education compared to boys, and fewer still go on to secondary
education. In Northern Uganda, only around 10% of girls go to secondary school (compared to
22% of boys).
I this o te t, Afri a Edu atio al Trust AET de eloped the “ hool Mothers o ept, ased on the premise that strong female role models could support girls in school and conduct
advocacy to persuade people in their communities of the value of educating girls. The Headley
Trust funded AET for a period of 3 years (August 2011 – July 2014) to deliver the Primary School
Mothers Project. The project operates across 42 primary schools and their surrounding
communities in 2 districts of Northern Uganda (Otuke and Oyam), and aims to promote the
enrolment and retention of girls in primary education and to enhance community support for
girls’ edu atio .
Summary of key achievements:
School Mothers have played a key role in supporting girls to stay in school and work hard for the
chance of progressing to secondary school. Data collected through the project shows a
significant increase in the number of girls in upper primary, the number of girls sitting primary
leaving exams and the number of girls passing the exams with good grades. This indicates that
more girls are staying longer in school, are more likely to complete primary school and are more
likely to achieve grades needed to access secondary school. In these areas, the rate of
improvement for girls has been higher than for boys, showing progress towards closing the
gender gap.
The effectiveness of individual school mothers, how active they are in visiting schools and
interacting with girls, appears to be a key contributing factor for improved retention and
learning outcomes. In addition, the distribution of shoes to girls in primary 7 is reported to be a
key motivating factor for girls to continue in school.
Over the course of the project, School Mothers have been available to support over 17,500 girls
across the 42 primary schools, at a cost per beneficiary of £3.40 over three years.
The success of the School Mothers is also seen in improved attitudes for girls’ education. For
example, teachers and School Mothers report improved relationships between teachers,
parents and pupils. Teachers in project schools are also shari g their su ess i supporti g girls’ education with other teachers.
Report on Activities during the reporting period
Planned Activity: Weekly school visits
One of the foundation stones upon which the school mother model is built is the regular school
visits. These give school girls the opportunity to interact with the school mother, to share their
feelings and raise any issues they may have. The visits also help school administrators to connect
with parents and the community through the school mother. Iff they have issues they want to
raise concerning a particular girl, they can bring it to the attention of the school mother. For
example, if the girl has stopped coming to school, it is the responsibility of the school mother to
check with the family to find out why.
On average, the School Mothers visit the schools three times a week. During these visits, they
conduct counselling sessions for the girls and interact with the teachers.
The s hool othe s ha e ee guidi g gi ls o ho the a sta safe a d o ti ue ith thei studies. Ati a o P i a
The e is a i u oope atio et ee tea he s, pa e ts a d pupils. Gotoj a g Primary.
Planned Activity: Distribution of sanitary materials
One of the key contributory factors for teenage girls dropping out of school has been poor
management of their menstrual periods. As well as practical difficulties, there is a tendency for
boys to ridicule girls, saying d a g o al (the cow has delivered). Such derogatory remarks
and the embarrassment they cause have forced many girls out of school. In order to address this
problem, AET has continued to supply the school mothers with materials to develop locally
made sanitary towels. This is seen as a sustainable and cost effective way to support girls to stay
in school.
The sa ita fa ilities gi e helped to edu e the u e of gi l hild d op outs. A o i P i a
Planned Activity: The Day of the African Child
AET has continued to run advocacy activities around the day of the African Child, which falls on
the 16th
of June. This day commemorates the hundreds of children shot dead in Soweto, South
Africa in 1976, when thousands of black children protested against the inferior quality of
education they were being offered and demanded to be taught in their own mother language1.
The day is also an opportunity to reflect on the plight of toda ’s hildren. AET works with district
1 http://www.hrea.org
stakeholders from government, the church, school heads, NGOs, donors, community leaders,
parents and the children themselves to bring to the fore the education challenges facing toda ’s children, and especially girls. This ear’s atio al ele ratio s were held in Lira under the
theme:
A hild f ie dl , ualit , f ee a d o pulso edu atio fo all hild e i Af i a
At this ear’s event, children spoke up about some of the key challenges they face among which
were: child abuse including sexual abuse, child sacrifice, child labour and domestic violence.
Planned Activity: Radio talk show on the day of the African child
The Day of the African Child was preceded by a one-hour radio talk show on the same theme: A hild f ie dl , ualit , f ee a d o pulso edu atio fo all hild e i Af i a . The District
Inspector of Schools for Lira and the AET Uganda Country Manager were guest speakers to
discuss the plight of children. Radio talk shows continue to be popular in Uganda and are an
effective way of raising awareness among the wider population. The show attracted a large
number of callers, the majority of whom acknowledged the significant challenges that need to
be addressed to improve the welfare of children. One caller in particular explained that:
The Child P ote tion Committees have played a big role in ensuring the rights of children during
the war period. Now that the war ended and the Child Protection Committees scattered, it is
diffi ult fo e fo e e t .
During the conflict, a number of organisations worked together under UNICEF to establish and
support child protection committees in internally displaced camps. This support is no longer
available, and the committees have disbanded, so child protection is often down to individual
members. The AET Uganda Country Manager committed to work with other development
partners to promote the quality of education and the protection of children. He cited the
example of AET’s part ership ith STIR Education (see below) aimed at promoting a network of
teacher change makers who can make a difference in their communities.
Planned Activity: Training and peer support workshops
In 2014, AET expanded the scope of its work in 15 of the project schools in a bid to improve the
quality of education and promote gender equity. In partnership with STIR Education (Schools
and Teachers Innovating for Results), AET is helping teachers to develop and implement new
ideas to improve student learning. So far 17 primary schools (including 2 private schools) in
Oyam district have benefited from this partnership, with 50 teachers working in a network to
try out innovative ways to use the limited resources they have in their schools.
AET has also continued to
provide the school mothers with
training and peer support
workshops aimed at developing
their capacity to support girls in
school. During the reporting
period, the school mothers have
attended two such workshops.
These covered the following
topics:
(a) Refresher training on making local sanitary materials
(b) Supporting girl child education in an under resourced environments
(c) Peer reviews of what other school mothers are doing in their various areas
(d) How we can improve coordination and support for the school mothers
Planned Activity: Purchase and distribution of shoes
AET was able to purchase 690 pairs of shoes, which were distributed to girls completing primary
7 in 42 project schools. The distribution of shoes is aimed at showing our appreciation both to
the girls and to their parents for investing in their education. It also encourages parents of girls
in the lower classes to ensure their girls persist in school and at least complete primary 7. the
shoes also provide a timely boost for girls who want to continue to secondary school, since they
can use them to attend school, saving their parents costs.
The incentive provided through the shoes is contributing to the trend for increased enrolment in
upper primary school (see section on data analysis).
Planned Activity: Secondary students mentoring primary students
Mentoring visits are aimed at promoting a learning interaction between primary and secondary
students. Through these visits, secondary students get the opportunity to demystify the fear of
secondary education, encourage their younger peers to work hard and join secondary schools.
This helps students struggling to stay in primary school to develop the confidence and
determination to excel and join their senior colleagues. During the reporting period, we
organised visits attended by 100 secondary students and approximately 850 primary girls. The
key areas of discussion included: succeeding in examinations, discipline and hygiene.
Planned Activity: End of project data collection and review
Between May and July 2014, AET collected data from project schools as well as feedback on
successes, challenges and the way forward. The Uganda team also reviewed the project,
reflecting on the questions (1) have we done what we said we would do? (2) Have we made any
difference? (3) Are we doing the right things? The full data analysis is attached.
Successes
School Mothers have contributed to improved retention and learning outcomes in project
schools. Girls’ enrolment in upper primary has increased by 31%, with a 41% increase in the
number of girls in primary 7. There has been a 34% increase in the number of girls sitting
primary leaving exams, with a 71% increase in the number obtaining grades 1 – 3, which is
essential for entering secondary school.
One of the key successes has been in networking with partners who can bring added value
to our work with the project schools. In particular, our partnership with STIR Education is
promoting improved quality of education in project schools. Several of the teachers put
forward ideas around community support for girls’ education, further strengthening the role
played by the School Mother.
Example: Otwal Primary School – Micro-innovation submitted by Deputy Head Teacher, Lwak
Emmanuel.
Problem statement: Lwak found that once students reached P5, 6 and 7, girls at school were
often ill-disciplined, did not concentrate as hard as was required to succeed in school and were
often absent. This was because they were often expected to work at the trading centre near the
school. They were also vulnerable to early marriage and their parents were not reinforcing the
importance of education at home.
Micro-innovation description: Lwak worked with senior teachers and the School Mother to
establish monthly meetings with mothers of all girls in upper primary. These meetings focused
o the i porta e of supporti g their daughters’ edu atio a d pro idi g the ith ti e to complete homework. He invited high profile women from the community to speak to the girls
and their mothers about the need for hard work and education.
Impact according to Lwak: Both girls’ attendance and behaviour have improved significantly at
the school and a spirit of healthy academic competition has been created. Parents are visiting
the school more frequently and play a bigger role in school life.
Following the success of the school mothers, AET was able to secure funding through the
Partnership to Strengthen Innovation and Practice in Secondary Education. This will enable
us to develop a complementary Secondary School Mother programme as well as focus on
quality and relevance. The 8 project secondary schools are the main ones that take children
from the project primary schools. This funding enables the continuation of advocacy
activities and mentoring visits. In addition, AET has been able to recruit two full time staff
based in those districts, who will be able to provide all the school mothers with
strengthened support to effectively carry out their work.
The project works through the local community, which will enable it to continue even
through periods where funding is low. As volunteers, School Mothers have shown an on-
going commitment to their role in supporting girls, for example, using funds raised from the
savings and loans scheme (established by seed grants) to provide girls with scholastic
materials. AET has worked closely with the School Mothers to plan the way forward and
begin the process to formally establish them as a Community Based Organisation.
Challenges
During this period, one of the key challenges has been in facilitating the school mothers to
travel around communities and schools. While they were given bicycles when they joined
the project, many now claim these are worn out and need replacement. As a result some
School Mothers have been less effective, and AET is in discussions with MIVA on funding to
provide new bicycles.
The District Education Officer (DEO) for Otuke expressed concern that mentoring visits
were keeping children away from class. To ensure they can continue without disrupting
classes, AET will work with the DEO to identify alternative ways to run them, e.g. timing
them around the global week of education, or after exams have finished.
CASE STUDY:
Susan is the School Mother for Wangolobo Primary School. She has been a School Mother since
2008 and trains the girls on hygiene and how to make sanitary pads out of local materials. She
also guides the girls on how to make choices and set goals, and follows up with parents of girls
who drop out of school and encourages them to return.
She has taken a leadership role among the School Mothers of Oyam District, overseeing the use
of the Savings and Loans scheme. Through this scheme, they have supported girls with
scholastic materials as well as three School Mothers who lost their husbands in the last year.
Susan also supports boys at risk and from the end of last year has been working to support the
enrolment of disabled children in primary school.
“he sa s she has see girls ho thought the ere ulnerable and had no opportunities able to
progress to se o dar as ell as girls starti g to e el at s hool. “he has also see attitudes to early marriage begin to change within the community, with local leaders more involved in
preventing this.
Wangolobo Primary was temporarily closed in early 2014 due to a land dispute. However, as
Susan is also a grade 1 teacher at Acokora Primary School, she was able to continue her work
supporting the girls, many of whom transferred to Acokora Primary.
AET staff and the teacher trainer for Oyam District interviewing Susan (far right)
The Way Forward:
AET would like to thank the Headley Trust for their support over the last three years. This has
enabled the Primary School Mothers programme to improve girls’ access to education and their
performance in school in Northern Uganda. AET plans to continue supporting the School
Mothers and the primary schools to ensure that girls do not just go to school, but are successful
in learning and are safe within their schools and community. AET hopes to continue to work
with the support of the Headley Trust to reate s hool a d o u ities that alue girls’ education and support them in achieving their goals.
In the meantime, the recent appointment of two Community Outreach Officers in each district
will help AET to have a continuous presence on the ground and will strengthen the relationship
with schools and communities.
AET will also continue to work through partnerships, such as STIR Education, supporting
teachers at the project schools. AET has also started a partnership with Low Resource Teacher
Training (LRTT) for sharing teacher training resources to further strengthen the quality of
teaching and learning.
Data analysis
Between May and July 2014, school level data was collected on enrolment and exam
results by both gender and grade. This was also an opportunity for schools to feed back
on the effectiveness of School Mothers, on challenges girls still face in education and on
future recommendations.
Data has been validated against figures collected by district officials and from AET
monitoring visits, and compared to available government data for the district/sub-region.
The analysis presented below focuses in each case on schools for which a full data set is
available, so that numbers are comparable across all project years. Since trends indicated
by partial data from other schools are consistent with these findings, it is reasonable to
assume that the sample of schools is representative of all project schools.
Enrolment 2011 – 2014:
Whole school enrolment (Full data for 26 schools)
Oyam Otuke Overall
M F Total M F Total M F Total
2011 8,074 7,402 15,476 2,578 2,595 5,173 10,652 9,997 20,649
2012
8,163
7,338
15,501 2,589 2,472 5,061 10,752 9,810 20,562
2013
8,395
7,613 16,008 2,917 2,698 5,615 11,312
10,311 21,623
2014
8,541
7,916 16,457 3,211 2,928 6,139 11,752
10,844 22,596
Change
2011 -
2014
+467;
+6%
+514;
+7%
+981;
+6%
+633;
+25%
+333;
+13%
+966;
+19%
+1,100;
+10%
+847;
+9%
+1,947;
+9%
Overall, enrolment in project schools has increased for both boys and girls. The increase
is slightly higher for girls in Oyam District, but almost twice as high for boys in Otuke
District. Applying this to all project schools, it implies that School Mothers have been
available to support over 17,500 girls, with an increase in enrolment of over 1,300 girls
throughout the project.
Comparison to data for the Lango Sub-region2
Lango Sub - region Project schools
M F Total M F Total
2012 296,901 290,744 587,645 10,752 9,810 20,562
2013 300,712 294,883 595,595 11,312 10,311 21,623
Change
2011 - 2013 7724; 3% 7596; 3%
15,320;
3% +560; 5% +501; 5%
+1,061;
5%
2 Ministry of Education and Sports 2013, The education and sports sector annual performance report
FY2012/13
The Lango sub-region covers 8 districts of northern Uganda, including Oyam and Otuke.
Data available for 2012 and 2013 shows that enrolment for both girls and boys in the area
is increasing at a similar rate (3%). By comparison, the rate of increase in project schools
is 5% for both girls and boys, representing 237 more boys and 206 more girls than
would have been expected in the 26 schools.
Retention and drop out:
Enrolment Primary 5 – Primary 7 (full data set for 17 schools)
Oyam Otuke Overall
M F Total M F Total M F Total
2011 1464 1167 2631 681 574 1255 2145 1741 3886
2012 1607 1265 2872 722 606 1328 2329 1871 4200
2013 1724 1379 3103 846 662 1508 2570 2041 4611
2014 1810 1511 3321 883 762 1645 2693 2273 4966
Change
2011 -
2014
+346;
+24%
+344;
+29%
+690;
+26%
+202;
+30%
+188;
+33%
+390;
+31%
+548;
+26%
+532;
+31%
+1080;
+28%
Enrolment in upper primary (classes 5 – 7) has been increasing each year for both boys
and girls. Overall, there is a higher rate of increase for girls in both districts.
Enrolment Primary 7:
Oyam Otuke Overall
M F Total M F Total M F Total
2011 267 145 412 127 96 223 394 241 635
2012 312 167 479 151 107 258 463 274 737
2013 297 176 473 183 100 283 480 276 756
2014 369 221 590 212 120 332 581 341 922
Change
2011 -
2014
+102;
+38%
+76;
+52%
+178;
+26%
+85;
+67%
+24;
+25%
+109;
+49%
+187;
+47%
+100;
+41%
+287;
+45%
The number of girls reaching the last year of primary school has increased each year
throughout the project. Overall, there has been an increase of 41% in the number of girls
reaching P7 showing that girls are now more likely to complete primary school.
Drop out term 1 to term 2 (10 schools):
Numbers dropping out Drop-out rate
P1 – P4 P5 - P7 Total P1 – P4 P5 - P7 Total
M F M F M F M F M F M F
2011
85 196 22 32
10
7
22
8 2.8% 6.8% 1.5% 2.8% 2.4% 5.6%
2012 20
9 89 84 23
29
3
11
2 6.8% 3.2% 5.3% 1.9% 6.3% 2.8%
2013
94 122 14 -27
10
8 95 2.9% 4.1% 0.8% -2.0% 2.2% 2.2%
2014
47 81 45 55 92
13
6 1.4% 2.6% 2.5% 3.5% 1.8% 2.9%
Chang
e 2011
- 2014 -38 -115
+2
3
+2
3 -15 -92 -1.4% -4.2% 0.9% 0.8% -0.6% -2.7%
As a measure of drop out, enrolment data was collected for each school term. Trends for
drop out through the school year show that most drop outs occur between term 1 and term
2 (on average, 2.2% to 4.7% of pupils). Between term 2 and term 3, drop out varies from
1.1% to an increase in enrolment of 0.7%. Teachers in project schools attribute this to
pupils dropping out due to food insecurity at home in term 2 but returning in term 3 with
the aim of getting promoted to the next class.
Looking at the data for drop out between term 1 and term 2, the number of girls has
significantly reduced. In 2014, 40% fewer girls dropped out of school between term 1 and
term 2 than in 2011. This represents a reduction in drop-out rate from 5.6% to 2.9%.
However, this reduction is concentrated in lower primary school (classes 1 – 4). Drop-out
rates have increased slightly in upper primary (classes 5 – 7) where early marriage
continues to be a factor affecting school completion. Despite this, the overall trend
indicates that pupils and girls in particular are progressing further through primary
school.
This data does not differentiate between children dropping out of education and those
transferring to another school. More research is needed into this.
Primary Leaving Exam (PLE) results 2010 – 2014:
The following analysis is based on data for 22 project primary schools for which results
are available for the years 2010 – 2013.
Number of candidates sitting exams:
Oyam Otuke Overall
M F Tota
l
% F M F Tota
l
% F M F Tota
l
% F
2010 279 115 394 29% 133 95 228 42% 412 210 622 34%
2011 272 111 383 29% 139 124 263 47% 411 235 646 36%
2012 318 142 460 31% 162 108 270 40% 480 250 730 34%
2013 319 160 479 33% 184 121 305 40% 503 281 784 36%
Change
2010 - 2013
+40;
+14
%
+45;
+39
%
+85;
+22
% +4%
+51;
+38
%
+26;
+27
%
+77;
+34
% -2%
+91;
+22
%
+71;
+34
%
+162
+26
% +2%
Similar to the trend in increased enrolment in upper primary, the number of candidates
sitting primary leaving exams has increased steadily each year since the project started.
Overall the number of girls sitting the primary leaving exams has increased by 34%
compared to 22% for boys.
Number and percentage passing the exams:
Oyam Otuke Overall
M F Total M F Total M F Total
2010 256;
92%
89;
77%
345;
88%
117;
88%
63;
66%
180;
79%
373;
91%
152;
72%
525;
84%
2011 255;
94%
99;
89%
354;
92%
110;
79%
81;
65%
191;
73%
365;
89%
180;
77%
545;
84%
2012 301;
95%
119;
84%
420;
91%
146;
90%
83;
77%
229;
85%
447;
93%
202;
81%
649;
89%
2013 301;
94%
142;
89%
443;
92%
160;
87%
88;
73%
248;
81%
461;
92%
230;
82%
691;
88%
Change 2010 - 2013
Numbers
passing
+45;
+18%
+53;
+60%
+98;
+28%
43;
+37%
+25;
+40%
+68;
+38%
+88;
+24%
+78;
+51%
+166;
+32%
Pass rate +2% +12% +4% -1% +7% +2% +1% +10% +4%
The numbers of girls passing the exams has significantly increased over the course of the
project. 51% more girls are now passing the exams compared to 28% more boys. The
pass rate for girls has increased from 72% to 82%, closing the gap in performance
between girls and boys.
Number and percentage scoring grade 1 – 3:
Oyam Otuke Overall
M F Total M F Total M F Total
2010 215;
77%
73;
63%
288;
73%
76;
57%
33;
35%
109;
48%
291;
71%
106;
50%
397;
64%
2011 231;
85%
86;
77%
317;
83%
87;
63%
53;
43%
140;
53%
318;
77%
139;
59%
457;
71%
2012 268;
84%
97;
68%
365;
79%
110;
68%
64;
59%
174;
64%
378;
79%
161;
64%
539;
74%
2013 260;
82%
116;
73%
376;
78%
129;
70%
65;
59%
194;
64%
389;
77%
181;
64%
570;
73%
Change 2010 - 2013
Numbers
passing
with grade
1 -3
+45;
+21%
+43;
+59%
+88;
+31%
+53;
+70%
+32;
+97%
+85;
+78%
+98;
+34%
+75;
+71%
+173;
+44%
Percentage
with grade
1 - 3
+5% +10% +5% +13% +24% +16% +6% +14% +9%
Achieving a pass rate between grades 1 and 3 is essential for getting into secondary
school. There has been a 71% increase in the number of girls achieving top grades, more
than double the rate of increase for boys.
Performance rate:
Oyam Otuke Overall
M F Total M F Total M F Total
2010 57% 42% 52% 46% 28% 38% 53% 36% 47%
2011 62% 54% 60% 45% 33% 39% 56% 43% 51%
2012 63% 49% 59% 52% 42% 48% 59% 46% 55%
2013 60% 50% 56% 49% 37% 44% 56% 44% 52%
Change
2010 -
2013
+3% +8% +4% +3% +9% +6% +3% +8% +5%
The performance rate is calculated by weighting results according to the grade of
passing. This also has improved over the duration of the project. The slight decline in
2013 is attributed by some schools to industrial action by teachers in term 3 of 2013,
which interrupted teaching and learning.
The performance of girls in PLE exams has improved by more than that of boys, again
showing progress towards closing the gender gap in achievement.
District level data3:
Oyam Otuke
M F Total M F Total
2010 63% 57% 61% 61% 52% 58%
2012 64% 59% 62% 63% 58% 62%
Change +1% +2% +1% +2% +6% +4%
Change in
project
schools +6% +7% +7% +6% +14% +10%
Data on PLE performance in Oyam and Otuke districts was obtained for 2010 and 2012.
Comparing this to the 22 project schools with PLE data, project schools are still behind
others in the district, but their performance in exams has improved by significantly more
than other schools, indicating some progress to close the gap in achievement between
schools.
Performance of School Mothers
Schools were asked to assess to effectiveness of the School Mother. In 4 schools the
School Mother was reported as being absent from her role. Schools were separated on
this basis.
Change 2011 - 2014 Schools with active School
Mothers (22 schools)
Schools with less active
School Mothers (4 schools)
Girls’ enrolment Increased by 12% Decreased by 9%
Girls’ enrolment in P5 - 7 Increased by 42% Decreased by 10%
Girls enrolment in P7 Increased by 58% Decreased by 17%
Change 2010 - 2013 Schools with active School
Mothers (18 schools)
Schools with less active
School Mothers (4 schools)
PLE Pass rate for girls Increased from 71% - 83% Decreased from 81% to 74%
Numbers obtaining grade 1
-3
Increased from 49% - 66% Decreased from 59 – 58%
PLE performance rate for
girls
Increased from 35% - 45% Decreased from 38% to 36%
There is a significant difference in measures for enrolment, retention and achievement
between schools where the School Mother is active and schools where the School Mother
is less active or absent.
On average, there is an additional 15 girls per school per year when the School Mother is
active. However, there is an average loss of 14 girls per school per year in schools where
the School Mother is less active.
3 Ministry of Education and Sports 2013, The education and sports sector annual performance report
FY2012/13
Ministry of Education and Sports 2011, Uganda education statistical abstract 2011.
Achievement of the School Mothers:
Schools were asked about how they have benefited from the work of School Mothers.
They gave the following answers:
“The school mother has been talking to girls, making follow ups to their homes, bringing
back to school some girls who wanted to drop from school.” Otwal Primary
“The school mother has helped improve on the general behaviour of girls in school. There is reduced drop out of school, early marriage etc.” Abela Primary
There is reduced drop-out/more girls are staying in school (41%)
Provision of guidance and counselling to girls
Reduced early marriage/pregnancy
Girls can protect themselves during monthly periods
Improved relationships among girls, boys and teachers
Improved behaviour
Bring more girls to school
Sensitise parents
More girls joining secondary school.
Challenges girls still face
“Most challenges come from the home of the child e.g. parents attitude towards girl child education is not that good.” Alibi Primary
Lack of parental support: parents do not provide scholastic materials, uniforms, exam
fees etc.
Early marriage
Domestic violence and abuse
Insufficient latrines and lack of a changing room
Domestic work
Fear in science
Low self-esteem
Recommendations for future support
Construction of changing rooms where girls can bathe at school during menstruation as
well as space for guidance and counselling
Continue to provide sanitary materials
Trained personnel in guidance and counselling to visit the school at least once a term
Strengthen and reinforce School Mothers and senior female teachers regarding the
services they provide to girls through further training
School fees for girls whose parents are unable to support their education
Continue to sensitise parents on the value of education
Continue to give shoes to girls
Cater for girls after completion of primary 7 so they can continue to secondary school.