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Essay, 26 pages (7000 words)

To investigate the impact of pregnacies and early marriages on a girl child education

ZAMBIAN OPEN UNIVERSITY TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF PRGNANCIES AND EARLY MARRIAGES ON GIRL CHILD EDUCATION THE CASE OF SHAMPANDE BASIC SCHOOL IN CHOMA DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN PROVINCE BY VINCENT JERE COMPUTOR # 20620668 SUBMITTED TO THE ZAMBIAN OPEN UNIVERSITY , SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT IN FULFILMENT OF THE B. A. ED DEGREE PROGRAMME. SUPERVISERS MRS ROSE KAKOMPE ZAOU 2009

DEDICATION . I dedicate this project to all special people in my life especially to my dear wife Jenipher Michelo Jere, my children Thaonga and Themwani Jere for their endurance during the period I was researching and compiling this report for my degree at Zambian Open University. Furthermore, to my relatives for the support and encouragement. All enemies of education to live long so that they see its long term benefits advantages and power. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Iam deeply indebted to Mrs.

Rose Kakompe, Department of the School of Education at Zambian Open University, my research project supervisor for her patience, encouragement and advice without which I could not have managed to accomplish the research study. My appreciation also goes to the Head Teacher of Shampande Basic School for allowing me to conduct a research at his institution and to give me some vital information about the subject matter. My sincere appreciation goes to the Administration of Choma Secondary School where I teach for the financial and moral support that has enabled me to accomplish my studies.

I further pay a glowing tribute of Secondary Education at Zambian Open University main Campus for the support and encouragement they rendered to me. I cannot bring this acknowledgement to an end without mentioning Mrs Matilda Banda for the secretarial service. Iam grateful to her for the services. However I must emphasize that solely responsible from any short comings, which may be found in this work. ABSRACT The study will be designed to investigate and explore the impact of pregnancies and early marriages on girl Child education in Zambia factors leading to early marriages.

It will also looked at how these methods or factors help to solve some of these problems to the general public. The study endeavors to address the concerns by the public concerning pregnancies and early marriage practices, the situation that has led to hindrance to individual, social, economic and political development. The target population will be the general public in Choma espencially Shampande Basic school and the surrounding areas. Early marriage on girl Child education is a global issue which has violates the rights of girls and boys, both in this generation and the next.

It affects the education and well-being of millions of children and has a knock-on effect for the poverty and development of communities. Due to the close link between early marriage and education, those of us involved in education are well placed to find out more about the causes and impact of such marriages. We can find ways of reducing the incidence of harmful early marriages and enable those that are married to benefit from a continued education – to the benefit of our societies as a whole. TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………i Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………….. i Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………. iii Table of content………………………………………………………………………….. iv Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………. v CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………… 1. 1 BACKGROUND……………………………………………………………………………………. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM……………………………………………………………… 1. 3 PURPOSE OF HE STUDY………………………………………………………………………. . 4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES……………………………………………………………………….. 1. 4. 1 GENERAL OBJECTIVES………………………………………………………………………. 1. 4. 2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES……………………………………………………………………… 1. 5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS…………………………………………………………………….. 1. 6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY………………………………………………………….. 1. DEFINATION OF TERMS…………………………………………………………………… 1. 8 DELIMITATIONS……………………………………………………………………………… 1. 9 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY…………………………………………………………………… CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 3. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN………………………………………………………………………… 3. 1. 1 POPULATION…………………………………………………………………………………. . 1. 2 SAMPLING PROCEDURES………………………………………………………………….. 3. 2 SOURCE OF DATA…………………………………………………………………………… 3. 2. 1 PRIMARY SOURCE…………………………………………………………………………. 3. 2. 2 SECONDARY SOURCE……………………………………………………………………… 3. 3 DATA COLLECTION……………………………………………………………………….. 3. 3. QUESTIONAIRES…………………………………………………………………………… 3. 3. 2 INTERVIEW GUIDE………………………………………………………………………. 3. 4 DATA ANALYSIS………………………………………………………………………….. CHAPTER 4 4. 0. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS……………………………………………………. 4. 1 PERSONAL DETAILS OF RESPONDENTS(TEACHERS)…………………………………………….. 4. 1. SOME CAUSES OF EARLY MARRIAGE AND PREGNANCIES……………………………………. 4. I. 2 ON THE AGE RANGE OF GIRLS BECOMING PREGNANT……………………………………….. 4. 1. 3 WAYS OF HELPING GIRLS TO AVOILD PREGNANCIES AND EARLY MARRIAGE…………. 4. 1. 4 RE-ENTRY POLICY SHOULD IT CONTINUE?……………………………………………………… 4. 1. 5HOW THE GIRLS SHOULD BE TREATED WHEN THEY COME BACK FROM LEAVE………… 4. 1. 6 THE PERFORMANCE OF GIRLS AFTER SCHOOL…………………………………………………. 4. RESPONSE FROM PARENTS…………………………………………………………………………….. 4. 2. 1 GIRLS LEAVING SCHOOL DUE TO EARLY MARRIAGE AND PREGNACIES………………….. 4. 2. 2 ON GIRL GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL……………………………………………………………… 4. 2. 3 ASSUPTIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF GIRLS PREGNANCY………………………………. 4. 2. 4 PARENTS’ ROLE ON ENSURING THAT THE GIRL CHILD COMPLETES SCHOOL WITHOUT INTERUPTION…………………………………………………………………………….. . 3 RESPONSE FROM THE SCHOOL MANAGER…………………………………………………………. 4. 3. 1 GIRLS LEAVING SCHOOL DUE TO EARLY MARRIAGE AND PREGNACIES………………….. 4. 3. 2 WHAT HIS ROLE IS TO ENSURE GIRLS CONTINUE WITH SCHOOL………………………… 4. 3. 3 SOME CAUSES OF EARLY MARRIAGES AND PREGNANCIES………………………………….. 4. 3. 4 THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION REACHED BY GIRLS AFTER THEIR LEAVE……………………. 4. 3. 5 ON THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT………………………………………………………………… 4. 3. CURRENT SITUATION ON CASES OF PREGANCIES IN SCHOOL……………………………. 4. 3. 7 SOME COMMENTS ON EARLY MARRIAGES AND PREGNANCIES WITH RESPECT TO THE GIRL CHILD EDUCATION…………………………………………………………………… CHAPTER FIVE 5. 1 SOME CAUSES OF EARLY MARRIAGES AND PREGNANCIES …………………………………… 5. 2 IMPACT OF PREGNACIES AND EARLY MARRIAGIES………………………………………………. 5. 3 THE RE-ENTRYPOLICY EFFECT……………………………………………………………………….. CHAPTER SIX

CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTION FR FURTHER RESEARCH 6. 1 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6. 2 RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………………………………………………….. 6. 3 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH…………………………………………………………… REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………………………….. APPENDICES Appendix 1 Interview with Milika Munkombwe

Appendix 2 Questionaire for the school guidance teacher/others Appendix 3 Questionnaire for the general public Appendix 4 budget Appendix 5 time schedule Appendix 6 letter of introduction Appendix 7 letter of thanks Appendix 8 letter of Milika CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Education is the right of every child regardless of what sex the person might be. It has been a worldwide problem that has been probed and tried in different ways to try and meet the obligations set at International forums. Furthermore, different approaches have been adopted to try and address the problem of universal Education for all.

Different deadlines and time frames have been set but the question still lingers on as to whether indeed this is attainable. It seems like each and every conference has its short comings when it comes to implementation. An example in this vain is the World Conference on Education for All (WCEFA), the issue of providing free education was tackled but yielded less results within the time frame set. It is in this regard that the girl child education is no exception.. This trend trickles further down to developing countries like Zambia.

A large number of Zambia’s population still lacks behind in education providence. Education is an important aspect of one’s life for it builds self esteem and skills that make people earn higher income, make informed decisions that pertain their lifestyles that will be benefits both individuals and nation at large. For this to be a reality, psychological and moral support must be given prior to financial and material support. The girl child education is no exception to this matter. Due to their nature, women really need to be educated, at least have basic education.

When this is so, the nation will benefit because high fertility rates will come down and poverty levels will reduce. There has been, however, some factors that have hindered the girl-child education despite it being enshrined as one of the human rights. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS, early marriages and pregnancies are among the many factors. However, despite it being a right, education for the school girl has been obstructed by so many factors, among them being pregnancies and early marriages. Very few girls go back to school when they fall pregnant and some even end up getting involved in premature marriages.

This practice has been perpetuated by the agents of socialization’s inadequacies to give the much needed guidance and counseling. 1. 1 BACKGROUND There are many causes of pregnancies and early marriages. The umbrella cause of pregnancies and early marriages among school girls in many developing countries like Zambia is poverty. It is out of this associates that girls get involved in sexual activities; that is to acquire finances to make themselves comfortable. They get involved in sex with fellow pupils, teachers, the well to do people and surprisingly enough with some clergy men and close relatives.

On a sad note, the issue of the school girl getting pregnant or marrying early has retarded national development to a great extent. It is for this reason that this research will focus on investigating the causes and the impact of early marriages and pregnancies on education among girl children in Zambia. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM It has been stated that education is a right of every child regardless of sex the person might be. Unfortunately, education has tended to land in the hands of few individuals. Most of the children out of school in developing countries are girls. There could be a variety of reasons for this discrimination.

One notable factor which hinders girls from progression, retention and higher achievements in education is pregnancy which later result in early marriages. It is from this perspective that this study intends to investigate the causes and impact of early pregnancies and marriages on the girl child in Zambia. 1. 3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The study tried to investigate the impact of pregnancies and early marriages on girl Child education in Zambia. 1. 4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 1. 4. 1 General Objective The general objective of this study is to determine whether pregnancies and early marriages have an impact on girl child education in Zambia. 1. . 2 Specific Objectives • To establish the causes of early pregnancies and early marriages of girl children in basic schools. • To ascertain the effects of pregnancies and early marriages among the girl children in basic schools. • To verify the extent and effectiveness of the re-entry policy on girl child education in Zambia. • To determine the attitudes of parents and guardians to early pregnancies and marriages. 1. 5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS • What are some of the causes of early marriages and pregnancies among school girls? • What could be some of the effects of early marriages and pregnancies on the girl child and the entire society? How effective is the re-entry policy on the girl child who becomes pregnant? • What measures are put in place by the education system to encourage girls who fall pregnant to continue schooling? 1. 6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The study endeavored to provide the information about the impact of pregnancies and early marriages on girl child education in Zambia. The findings derived from this study may not only be an eye opener but may lead to bring on board interested stakeholders to formulate interventions that will benefit the girl child education.

Above all, the study may help school managers to accept the girl child who returns to school after giving birth unconditionally. 1. 7 DEFINITION OF TERMS Access -To have a chance of schooling Causative factors -Factors which are identified as having influence on the Girl’s child early pregnancies and marriages Gender : – An analytical concept which focus on women’s roles and responsibility in relation to those of men Girl child : – A female child

Poverty: – Condition of life where by a person has limited Resources, which may negatively affect his or her performance Re-entry policy: – A policy which states that girls who stop school due to pregnancy go back to continue schooling after giving birth. Retention -To remain in school Stakeholders -People involved in a ministry 1. 8 DELIMITATIONS The research was conducted at Shampande basic school in Choma urban only. It also involved the surrounding community but within shampandeTownship.

It aimed at finding the impact of early pregnancies and marriages among the girls. Pupils, the school manager, teachers and the school guidance and counseling teacher and the parents /guardians were involved. It involved 25 teachers that included the School Manager and Guidance and counselling and 20 parents/ Guardians , bringing the number to 45 Respondents. 1. 9 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY During the study, the respondents, especially the teachers were difficult to convince to be brought together as any meeting was seen as time wasting or if convinced, they wanted some money attached.

Time was wasted to this cause. In short, the attitude was negative from teachers. On the parents’ side, most of them were not found at home or if found, it were mostly women as most men were reported out on either piece works or drinking spree. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Girl child pregnancy in schools world over is a major problem to which every country is trying to find solutions. This is so especially in the sub saharan region. This problem has made many brilliant girls leave school before completing while boys continue with their education.

This has resulted in the reduction of the number of girls in each class while that of boys per class remains constant each year. A research carried out by Maimbolwa and Chilangwa (1995) revealed that besides pregnancies, domestic chores, teasing, threats and insults by boys, sexual harassment and parent’s atttitudes towards educating girls were among the major factors responsible for low enrolment and high drop out rate among girls. A survey conducted by the Central Statistics Office(CSO) in 1996 showed that of the 180, 000 people asked, 21, 840 had stopped school due to pregnancy in either grades 8 or 9 respectively (CSO: 1996).

Kelly (1994) points out that girls education has been given row deal because traditionally, most people think the kitchen is the only place where girls and women have full control and demand. This is as a result of cultural tendencies that are difficult to overcome because they are rooted in societal values and norms. A further comment is made by Bunwaree and Heward(1999) in line with the cultural tendencies that parents do not allow girls who become pregnant to continue with school because they are a disgrace to the family.

This means that girls have no purpose of receiving education, it must be spread for the boy child who has challenging responsibilities out there in society. It has been seen that when girls begin school at an early age, they do better than boys in class so as long the correct grade for their age is maintained. However, once in their early teens, the tendancy for girls to drop out is greater than for boys. In addition to this, Mwansa (2005) noted that boys’ attitudes towards girls such as bullying and trying to have sex with them especially in co-education schools, contribute to girls leaving or dropping out of school.

Lungu and Sinyangwe (1988) noted that special attention should be drawn to the education of women in Africa because educational development strategies which do not allow women and girls to have access to better education. According to Mason (1995) “ Women could not awaken from the slumber of dominance by men who viewed them as their only tool, education, which could awaken them was denied them. It is now widely accepted that there can be no real sustainable development without the full participation of both women and men.

Education impowers and give knowledge and skill to the people for them to effectively participate in and contribute to development. It goes without saying that uneducated girls and women who constitute the majority in the population will not play an effective role in the development process (MOE, 1995). Neglecting the education of girls and women is neglecting half the human resources needed for sustainable development`. It is evident that for a long time girls were expelled from school when they got pregnant.

Chamoto (1983/84), revealed that many girls stopped school due to expulsion for being found to be pregnant. And Mwansa (2005), also pointed out that 30% of mothers in Zambia had children realizing that unless something was done to address the situation many girls would not be able to complete their education course. From a political scene, Mwanakatwe(1968) records that there was an appeal by a member of parliament in 1966 to allow pregnant school girls to have maternity leave and re-admit them in school after delivery.

This and many timely appeals were made at different forums. In response to this issue, the Ministry of Education through the national education policy (MOE, 1995) decided to re-admit young mothers to schools. A circular, No. 1 of 1997, re-admission of girls who leave school due to pregnancy was established and introduced in schools in Zambia. In part the circular pointed out that the Ministry of Education had realized that the expulsion of girls from school had an adverse effect on retention rate for girls, which has remained lower than that of boys.

It also states that young mothers should be re admitted unconditionally and that those wishing to go on transfer to other schools should be given transfers. It is in this vein that the study will try and look at the impact of pregnancies and early marriages on the education of the girl child and to some extent as highlighted by Tietjen,(1991: 16) that; “ pregnancy policies which are barriers that keep the girls from progressing and completing school cycles” will be looked upon. The mission of the Ministry of Education is to guide the provision of education for all Zambians so that they are able to pursue knowledge and skills, manifest excellence in performance and moral uprightness, defend democratic ideals, and accept and value other persons on the basis of their personal worthy and dignity, irrespective of gender, religion, ethnic origin, or any other discriminatory characteristics” (MoE; Educating our future, 1996). CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 3. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN In this study, both quantitative and qualitative methods of collection of data were used.

It was carried out in a purported high–density populated area (shampande) with an assumption that early marriages and pregnancies are prevalent. 3. 1. 1 Population Since it was not a widespread kind of research, where data was collected from one source and compared with the other, the target population comprised of teachers, school guidance teacher, the school manager and the parents of a particular school in this case is Shampande Basic school. The target population was 100 but it was narrowed down to a workable sample population of 45 respondents. . 1. 2 Sampling Procedures Only few schools with the locality were sampled, hence may not be a true representation of the entire urban. Random sampling was used to select teachers. Shampande Basic School has about 33 teachers. Questionnaires were put in the staff room when everybody was around for a meeting and teachers picked not on the bias of gender and when 25 were picked, the exercise was stopped. 20 parents were also randomly selected and for a purpose, 10 were male and 10 were female. 3. SOURCES OF DATA There were two sources of data that the study used namely; primary and secondary. 3. 2. 1 Primary Sources This was employed to collect first hand information. It was so in order that the problem under investigation would be tackled with the weight it deserved and this was through interviews of the selected respondents using interview schedules. Employed also was direct field observations. This enabled the study to really have contact with the situation, as will be shown in some pictures below.

Clarity regarding the study was given on a one to one basis as some respondents mistook the process to that of census or a government funded research that was heavily funded. 3. 2. 2 Secondary Sources The secondary sources of data were primarily from policy documents, literature from case studies articles, Central Statistics Library and indeed the University of Zambia Library. 3. 3 DATA COLLECTION The following instruments were used to collect the data. 3. 3. 1 Questionnaires Distinctive structured questionnaires were prepared and used to collect data from the Teachers and Parents or Guardians. 3. 3. 2 Interview Guide

It was assumed that of the target group especially parents, most of them would not be able to read due to low education levels or indeed no formal education at all, as it was discovered. In such an instance, the oral interview was used. The interview also helped to probe more on certain aspects of the questionnaire and this helped to elicit more information from the Respondents. 3. 4 DATA ANALYSIS Data analysis and presentation was done using Microsoft Excel that systematically did the graphs. The data was further quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS

The following study and findings was conducted at Shampande Basic School with other findings drawn from the community in Shampande Compound in Choma District . It follows the statement of the problem, objectives and Research questions designed and presented in this manner, qualitatively and quantitatively. 4. 1. PERSONAL DETAILS OF RESPONDENTS (TEACHERS) Shampande Basic School has about 33 Teachers in total with the majority being female. As of the study, there were 25 teachers that were interviewed of which 19 or 76% were Female and 6 or 24% were male. Table 1: Shows respondents (Teachers) by Gender Sex | Frequency | Percentage (%) | | Female | 19 | 76 | | Male | 6 | 24 | | Total | 25 | 100 | Source: Field Data, 2010. 4. 1. Some causes of early Marriages and Pregnancies. The respondents from Shampande Basic School gave out the following reasons for causes of early marriages and pregnancies. Poverty was ranked the highest among the reasons given. Peer pressure, as a result of media influence, that is what they watch on the television and the type of music they listened to lowered their morality. On peer pressure still, it was further stated that friendship ties with other pupils whose morals had been degraded affected those that were upright as they thought they were left out in fashion and other lifestyle spheres.

Lack of sponsorship was also highlighted where some girls who did not have it opted to get pregnant to make the one who impregnate take over certain responsibility. 4. 1. 2 On the age range of Girls becoming Pregnant The following information gives the supposed age range by various respondents within the teaching fraternity. [pic] Source: Field Data: 2010. 4.. 1. 3 Ways of helping girls to avoid pregnancies and early marriages. Most of the respondents stated that they needed to be councelled and educated on the importance of education; being that they would have a brighter future if they concentrated on school. . 1. 4 Re- entry policy, should it continue? On the re-entry policy the respondents gave out the following answers of YES and NO in form of the table indicated below. | | RESPONSE | PERCENTAGE | | RESPONDENTS | YES 18 | 72 | | RESPONDENTS | NO 7 | 28 | | TOTAL | 25 | 100 |

Source: Field Data: 2010 4. 1. 5 How the girls should be treated when they come back from leave. There was a mixed type of responses here. Some mentioned that the girls should be encouraged to work hard, while others stated that they should be treated with respect. Furthermore, others argued that they deserved a fair and equal opportunity like other pupils to the contrary view that they should be treated with a critical eye on them. 4. 1. 6 The performance of the girls after birth. This was subdivided into two(2) parts being (a) academically and(b) in co-curricular activities.

In th first part on academic the repsonse was that the girls worked hard because they hadexperienced disappointment before. Others stated that the performance was not good as they concentrated mostly in thinking about their babies at home. When it came to to co-curricular activities, most of the response was that their performance was not good because they regarded the activites as a share waste of time. Others stated that the performance was poor too because the girls were shy to mingle with peers for fear of rebuke that even the ones with babies surely are not supposed to mingle and play freely with those that do not have. . 2 RESPONSES FROM PARENTS A deliberate number by gender was picked to respond to certain need of the research. In this case, 10 were female and 10 male, bringing the total number of respondents in this category to 20 all together. 4. 2. 1 Girls leaving school due to early marriages and pregnancies The parents and guardfians responded that they wre aware. In this group and percentage form, 100% responded that they were indeed aware. 4. 2. 2 On girls getting back to school On this category, 80% of parents or guadians respondend positively with 20% saying no because “ it encourages the child to misbehave. 4. 2. 3 Assumptions on the performance of girls after pregnancy. The following information was gathered by Gender. It is expressed in form column graph with frequency table to respond to performance of being Good, Fair and Poor. [pic] Source: Field Data: 2010 4. 2. 4 Parents’ role on ensuring that the girl child completes school without interuption Most of the parents and guardians responded by saying that advice should be given to the girls for them to see the need of completing school without any disturbances.

Others stated that time for the girl child should be moderated to favour a situation of her being kept busy with work both at school and home. It was further stated that the girl child should be educated in terms of the dangers of early pregnancies because they were still young and that the biological make up of their bodies was not yet ready for pregnancy, thus this would lead to complications on child birth. 4. 3 RESPONSE FROM THE SCHOOL MANAGER. 4. 3. Girls leaving school due to early marriages and pregnancies He was aware of such cases but that these cases were not rampant in the later years compared to the past, being years before the re-entry policy was introduced . 4. 3. 2 What his role is to ensure girls continue with school. It was said that the girls were allowed to continue with their education following the policy on re-entry. 4. 3. 3 Some causes of early Marriages and Pregnancies. As stated by other respondents, poverty was the main issue that caused early pregnancies and early marriages among the school going girls.

Children who felt they were not supported financially usually would get into such problems. 4. 3. 4 The level of education reached by girl after their leave. Most of the girls who got re-admitted were able to reach higher school levels of education and that their perfomance was good. 4. 3. 5 On the learning environment. The learning environment was supposed to be the same as those girls who are not mothers or pregnant to help bridge the segregation gap and lessen the inferiority complex feelings. 4. 3. 6 Current situation on cases of pregnancies in the school.

Recent indicators showed that cases of this nature were rare in the school. 4. 3. 7 Some comment on early marriages and pregnancies with respsect to the girl child education. Early marriages and pregnancies were a big hinderance to the girls as they could contribute well to the national development. CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS In this chapter, the discussion on the findings will be delt with references drawn from objectives formed. 5. 1 Some Causes of early marriages and pregnancies Shampande Basic School is one of Choma’s township that is heavily populated.

Of the 6 surbubs and townships known by central statistics office, Shampande ranks below 2 on the top 5 densily populated areas, with a total population of 7, 400( 2000 Census of population and Houehold). From the same source, it is seen that of the total number of population, 3200 are male and 4, 200 are female with about 3570 households. With this population, there are only two schools. Another school that helps swallow the demand for school places is St Patricks Basic School, located in the same area.

However, it is from such a background of the area that is Shampande, where one of the causes of pregnancies and early marriages is highlighted as having a high rate of unprotected sex. Most of the households are clustered in small shackle like structures with a high rate of Guest houses and Bars. These bars are patronized day and night by both male and female. They are located near the school with some being a bit further. One of the most pronounced reasons or causes of pregnancies is poverty. In this vein, most of the people in Shampande compand has a low income base, obtained mainly through selling chacoal, or having ‘ Tuntembas’.

In most cases, it is the female that tend to fend for the family through such income generating ventures while most of the men are out on drinking sprees. With the reason given that in most households, they cannot afford certain essentials, they send the girl child to sell farm produce in the compound or indeed at bars thus they get attracted to what they see and get involved too. This could be seen in the picture below where these girls left school because each time they would pass by bars to listen to music as they went home but later started sneaking to so called disco houses.

It can as well be stated that certain households infact ‘ tell’ their girl children to look for food, which in the actual sense implies sending them for prostitution. This is the case cited by Jensen and Thornton in Sweetman (2003: 17) who state that “ on the part of supply side, many households may marry their daughters at young ages because of high costs of raising children (food, clothing, education and health care)”. It appears that whenever parents failed to take care of their children, the girl –child became the most vulnerable victim to vices of early marriages. pic] Photo by: Cholwe Most of the women get their livelihood through selling farm produce like Tomatoes and Vegetables [pic] Most of the girls due to lack of parental care and peer influence, patronize bars that are so many, to listen to music but end up involved in drinking, prostitution and early marriages like these two girls(one standing and one sitted). They stopped school in grade eight at Kalingalinga Basic School but cannot go back citing lack of sponsorship. 5. 2 IMPACT OF PREGNACIES AND EARLY MARRIAGES.

From the findings, it is clear that the perfomance of the girls after coming from leave was compromised in the sense that they had some responsibility of taking care of the babies at home. Much as the girls tried to fit in , in the academic and co-curricular activites of the school, it was not always that the girl mothers would maintain their previous performance . Some teacher respondents stated that the perfomance went down due to the fact that the girl mothers were shy to mingle freely with peers as most of them feared to be associated with the ‘ mistake ‘ made of the girl mother.

This lead to some form of discrimination thus reducing the performance. Another factor in some cases where the performance went down has to do with the relationship from home. Some parents were not supportive, no care for the babies making the girl mothers to instead of concentrating at school, they worry about their babies at home. To an extent, certain parents would still live with the unforgiving spirit whereby what ever the case was that the girl mother wants tot do, they are reminded of the passed as though the ‘ sin’ they commited is unpardonable.

This attitude was seen from one parent who clearly said that while the girl was free to go back to school, she was to find someone to take care care of her child because her as a grand mother would not. 5. 3 The re-entry policy effect The policy has had an impact in terms of being known that it exists. Even though the policy was known, it was not fully accepted in sonme quaters to a suprise, some teachers were not so much in support of it. This was seen where the some girls left school without getting leave thus having no record at school to trace their whereabouts.

On the contrary, the policy has recieved overwheming support from parents that are aware of its existence thus encourage girls who have been pregnant if given a chance , to go back to school. One interesting situation was a case of one girl Milika Munkombwe, a grade seven (7) pupil who at some point fell pregnant and wanted to get back tot school despite un supportive odds, was at first denied the chance by the head teacher at Shampande Basic School. When the other members of staff heard about it, it was debated but at a time she was called, she had become pregnant of the second child.

Her quest for school did not end but still wanted to continue even with two children. Again when she wanted to start school , she was again pregnant to a third child. To the surprise of the administration , she still wanted to be admitted to the full time morning class but administration refused but rather admited her to the evening class . According to her teacher, she is still a good performer. Below is her picture. [pic] Photo by Cholwe Milika munkombwe with her third born baby but still has the quest to learn despite the negative attitude she is getting from her guardians. [pic]

The persistant Milika standing in the middle with her teacher on the right while on the left is the interviewer, Mr. Cholwe. Another interesting feature discovered during research was a 68 old man who had had no support for the policy but had benefited from it. He has in total 16 children, of which 7 are girls and 2 of them had the preveledge of completing school through the re-entry policy. He argues that the policy encourages the child to misbehave because in ‘ those days, children who fell pregnant left school for good and this induced fear thus they would not become pregnant anyhow’.

He further stated that the perfomance was poor because the girls would be ‘ thinking of romance, boys in the compound’. Asking him further on the advice to give the girls, he stated that he was not the one to give advice to the girl but the mother was because he was concerned more with the welfare of the boys. [pic] The 57 years old man at his ‘ katemba’ selling cooking oil but with a hangover and a pack of tobbaco to boost his morning after a last night drinking adventure. He has 9 children. CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 6. 1 CONCLUSION

It has been observed that to a large extent, possibly to all third world countries, Girl –child education is still far to have an impact due to lack of a proper political wheel that looks at the policy in its progression. There has been many cases where girls lack the support of both parents and school administration although the policy could be there on paper. Still on the political wheel, leaders at all levels are the key to foster development in this realm. They play a pivotal role in mobilizing the community, the churches and other stake holders to be very supportive of progrmames that support the girl child.

It is incurbent upon Government to be a leader in policies and not relax in monitoring and evaluation , then other stake holders will have the muscle to carry on at their level of perfomance too. When it comes to early marriages, it is usually not the girls’ wishes in most cases. Much as the law is there to protect the girl child, in some quarters the vice is rampant and still goes on as the case in Shampande because the poverty levels are too high and some parents allow it as a way to gain an income. It needs the Government’s scrutiny to such vices.

It can finally be concluded with a saying; educate the girl, you educate the nation, but if you educate a boy, you educate an individual. When the girl-child is supported through education on even safer ways of sex indulgence, if not abstinence, there will be less pregnancies and early marriages, and if this happens, they should be encouraged to go back to school. 6. 2 RECOMMENDATIONS The following are some of the recommendations to foster development not only at Shampande Basic School but the Nation at large. There should be constant check ups by Evaluation and Standards officers in these schools to check whether the policy is being effectively implemented. ? Proper record keeping should be encouraged in the schools to have a traceable background of the girls that could have left school due to early pregnancies, early marriages or any related cases. ? Schools should be conducting sensitization meetings through Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) Meetings explaining the existence and impplications of the re-enttry policy. Encourage the evening classes school going persons to also see the importance of that classes and should not feel descriminated against but rather given an opportunity to learn as well. ? Increase the bursary scheme to the girls especially the vulnerable and disadvantaged have a proper mechanisim of identifying them through research in the community and at school. ? Increase the completion base through an inclusiveness of church participation and and other Community Based Organisations(CBOs. )to foster girl -child education. Have more schools built in townships to carter for the ever growing population and increase girl participation in educative activities; for example drama performances in the community on the negative impact of early marriages and pregnancies. 6. 3 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. The following are the suggestions for further research. ? A comparative study on the early marriages and pregnancies in a densily populated area and a low density area. ? Investigate the performance of the girl mother in Basic Schools and at high School level respectively. The implications of the normatic values of society on the re-entry policy on girl mothers. ? T o what extent does the law go to protect the girl child in townships? REFERENCES Bunwaree, S and Heward, C. (ed). (1999) Gender, Education and Development Beyond Access to Development. Zed Books: London. Chigunta and Masiye (1998) Will the Poor always be with Us? Poverty Experiences in Zambia. Lusaka Committee for Campaign against Poverty. Kelly, M. J (1994) Below the Poverty Line in Education: A Situational Analysis of Girls’ Education in Zambia. UNICEF: Lusaka. Mason (1995) British Education in Africa.

London Oxford University Press. London Ministry of Education (MOE) (1995) Zambia Education Rehabilitation Project on Educational Policy Stutdies: Study on Gender Issues in Education in Zambia. ZEPH: Lusaka. Ministry of Education (MOE) (1996) Educating Our Future: National Policy on Education. Zambia Educatiion Publishing House: Lusaka. Mwanakatwe, J. M. (1968) The Growth of Education in Zambia since Independence. Oxford University Press: London. Mwansa, D. (2005) Listening to thte Girl Child: Voices for Change and Redress in Primary Education in Zambia. MOE/UNICEF: Lusaka. Phiri, M. 1998) A Study to Determine the Influence of Programme for the Advancement of Girl Education (PAGE)on the Academic Performance of the Girl Child in Selected Schools of Chipata Urban. UNZA: Lusaka. Tietjen, K. (1991) Educating Girls: Strategies to Increase Access , Persistence and Achievment. Creative Associates International Inc: Washsington DC. APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Zambian Open University School of Education Questionnaire for the school guidance teacher, and the teachers. Instructions: 1) Answer all questions to the best of your knowledge ) Do not write your name on this questionnaire 3) Indicate your answer by ticking in the appropriate box and filling in the blank spaces. Please not that this study is for academic purpose only and will therefore be treated with strict confidence it deserves. Sex………………………………. Age…………………………… Date………………………………. School……………………………. District…………………….. Province…………………………. Marital Status: Single [ ] Married [ ] Widowed [ ] Divorced [ ] 1) What could be some of the causes of early marriages and pregnancies among school girls? ……………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2) In basic schools, at what age range do most of the girls experience pregnancies? ……………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3) In which ways do you help the girls to avoid early pregnancies and marriages in school? ………………………………………………………………. …………………………………… ………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………… 4) Should the re-entry policy for girls who become pregnant at school continue? a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ] c. Not sure [ ] If your answer is yes or no give reason(s) …………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. (5) How should teachers handle the girls once they come back from leave? …………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. …………………………… (6) How is the performance of girls who re-enter school after giving birth? a- Academically …………………………………………………. ………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………… b- In extra curricular activities ……………………………………………. ………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………… 7) Suggest some ways of avoiding discrimination against basic school girls who encountered early pregnancies? ………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. End of the questionnaire Thank you very much APPENDIX 2 Zambian Open University School of Education Interview schedule for the school manager. Instructions (1) Answer all questions to the best of your knowledge (2) Do not write your name on this questionnaire (3) Indicate your answer by ticking in the appropriate box and filling in the blank spaces. Please not that this study is for academic purpose only and will therefore be treated with strict confidence it deserves. Sex……………………….

Age…………………….. Date………………… School…………………………………… ……. District…………. …………… Province…………………. …. Marital Status Single [ ] Married [ ] Widowed [ ] Divorced [ ] 1) Are you aware of any cases where some girls left school due to pregnancies or early marriages in school? Yes [ ] No [ ] Not sure [ ] (2) If yes, what do you do to ensure that such girls continue with education? …………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………… ………………………………………… (3) What could be the causes of early marriages and pregnancies among school girls? ……………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………….. ……………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. (4) Do the majority of basic school girls who get re-admitted manage to reach higher school level of education? a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ] c. Rarely [ ] d. Not sure [ ] (5) How is the performance of the girls who re-enter school after giving birth? a.

Better [ ] b. Good [ ] c. Poor [ ] (6) Should the learning environment for the girl mothers be the same as those who have never been pregnant before? a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ] c. Not sure [ ] (7) If your answer is Yes or No why do you say so? ……………. …………………………………. ….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. (8) Who common are the cases of pregnancies in this school? a. Very frequent [ ] b. Rare [ ] c. Not sure [ ] (9). Comment on early pregnancies and marriages with respect to the girl- child

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