Transcript GENDER EQUALITY IN SECONDARY AND TERTIARY …

GENDER EQUALITY IN SECONDARY
AND TERTIARY EDUCATION:
WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR GIRLS?
The Experience of
Rwanda
Dr Shirley Randell AM
1
Primary Net Enrollment Rates,
Rwanda, 1998/99 to 2005

100
80
NER
Girls
60
40
NER
Boys
20
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2
20
05
G
oa
l-2
00
8
/0
3
02
/0
1
20
00
20
19
98
/9
9
0
Source: NEPAD Secretariat and UNIFEM Rwanda. Independent
Review Report on the Progress and Prospects of Gender
Mainstreaming in Rwanda, 2000-2005, May 2006.; FAWE website;
MINEDUC, Education Sector Strategic Plan, 2003.

Primary net enrollment
rates increasing
School fees abolished
in 2003
Girls outnumber boys in
enrolments at primary
level
On path to realize
universal primary
enrollment (UPE) by
2015
Girls’ Net Enrollment Rates as a
Percentage of Boys, Rwanda, 2005

102.7
Primary
85.5
Secondary
Higher
Education

67.7
0
20
Source: FAWE website
3

40
60
80
100 120
Gender disparities in
enrollments begin to
emerge at secondary
level
By university, only 4 out
of 10 students are girls
These disparities
become even more
apparent if we look at
the types of schools
attended
Secondary School Net Enrollment
Rates, Rwanda, 2005
Girls in
Private
Schools
6.5
11.5
4
Source: FAWE website

7.2
8.2
Girls in
Govern
ment
Schools
Boys in
Govern
ment
Schools
Boys in
Private
Schools


Of every 100 students in
secondary schools, only 47
are girls.
In government schools which are less expensive
and higher quality - boys
outnumber girls 58 to 42.
Boys private schools include
high quality seminary
schools. Other private
schools, which many girls
attend, tend to be of low
quality.
Total Enrollment in Higher Education
Institution, by Gender, Rwanda, 2005
Though total enrollment
in primary, secondary
and tertiary continues
to grow, girls comprise
only 40 percent of
university students.
 The disparity is more
y s irls oy s irls oy s irls oy s irls oy s irls
o
stark within public
1 B 01 G 02 B 02 G 03 B 03 G 04 B 04 G 05 B 05 G
0
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
universities: girls make
Public Univ.
Private Univ.
up only 27.2% of
students
Source: NEPAD Secretariat and UNIFEM Rwanda. Independent Review Report
on the Progress in 2005.
18000

16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
5
and Prospects of Gender Mainstreaming in Rwanda, 2000-2005, May 2006.
So what is
happening to
Female Students
in Rwanda?
6
Social and Institutional Barriers to
Girls’ Education
 Direct
Discrimination
 Indirect Discrimination
 In-school factors
 Out-of-school factors
7
Social and Institutional Barriers to
Girls’ Education (cont)
Historically marginalized
 Traditional gender roles
 Lack of adequate facilities
 Gender-biased curriculum, classrooms,
assessment
 Lack of female teacher role models
 Insecurity in schools – gender-based
violence

8
Social and Institutional Barriers to
Girls’ Education (cont)
 Low
performance on examinations
 Gender discrimination in
admissions
 Prioritization of mathematics and
sciences
 Poverty
9
Historical Marginalization
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
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10
Under the colonial regime, girls’ schools
were introduced a full 40 years after boys’.
Curriculum has been designed to reinforce
girls’ socialized roles, such as hygiene,
secretarial skills, and home economics.
Positive attitudes towards girls’ education are
slow to evolve.
Traditional Gender Roles
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11
Especially in rural areas, girls continue to be
responsible for a range of household tasks,
such as fetching water, gathering firewood,
and cooking.
Girls are also often tasked with caring for
younger siblings or aged and sick relatives,
especially those suffering from HIV/Aids.
These tasks may prevent girls from attending
school, or limit the time they can devote to
their studies.
Lack of Adequate Facilities



12
Many schools lack separate toilet and
dormitory facilities for boys and girls.
This, together with poverty and the lack of
access to sanitary pads, may cause
adolescent girls to stay home during their
monthly periods.
The resulting higher rates of absenteeism
affect learning and performance on
examinations.
Gender Biased Curriculum


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13
Masculinity in the curriculum, classroom, and
in assessment methods are a major barrier
to girls’ education.
There is a need for student-centred teaching,
a gender equitable learning environment,
and curriculums that are relevant to girls.
The lack of female teachers, particularly in
math and science courses, is a further
impediment to girls.
Insecurity in Schools
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14
Girls who encounter harassment, intimidation
or violence in their school environments may
be afraid to attend school.
School environments where teachers and
students are heavily male dominated are
easy places for girls to encounter violence.
Girls who are abused in their homes or
communities experience trauma, decreasing
their performance at school.
Low Performance on Examinations
Percentages of Students Sitting Exams who
Passed, by Gender, 2003/04
Passing Rate
15
Primary Leaving Exam
Boys
%
34.1
Girls
%
22.2
Lower Secondary Exam
47.2
23.2
Upper Secondary Exam
81.1
67.2
Low Performance on Examinations
(cont)
Gender Distribution of Students who
Passed Examinations
Year
16
Primary
Leaving
Boys Girls
%
%
Lower
Secondary
Boys Girls
%
%
2002/
2003
58
42
66
34
2004/
2005
61
39
66
34
Upper
Secondary
Boys Girls
%
%
52
48
59
41
Low Performance on Examinations
(cont)
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17
Boys consistently out-perform girls on national
examinations at all levels. For the year 2004/05, boys
comprised almost two-thirds of students who passed
exams at all levels.
Social factors, such as gender roles and high rates of
absenteeism, entrench girls’ low performance
throughout their schooling.
This has a cyclical effect, as girls are admitted to
lower quality secondary schools, perform worse on
secondary school exams, and ultimately are admitted
in lower numbers, and to lower quality, universities.
Gender Discrimination in Admissions
(cont)


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18
In addition to lower performance on
examinations, gender discrimination is
obvious in the admissions practices of
government universities.
Girls who pass their examinations are being
excluded in greater numbers from public
universities than their male counterparts.
Scholarships are awarded for high marks in
science and technology.
Gender Discrimination in Admissions
(cont)

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In 2003/04, of every 100
students who passed their
exams, 48 were women and
52 men.
19.1% of those who passed
were admitted to
government universities.
8.18% of girls who passed
were admitted, while 15.16%
of boys were admitted.
For every 100 girls who
passed, 8 were offered
admission; for every 100
boys, 15 were given a place.
Boys Girls Margin
Students who 52
Passed, per
100
48
4%
Students
15
Admitted, per
100
8
7%
Gender Bias is
Obvious in this
Example!
Gender Discrimination in Admissions
(cont)
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20
In 2004/05, 59% of those
Men
Women
who passed their exams
were boys, 41% girls, a
% Passed
59
41
margin of 18%.
Exams
Men constituted 72% of
those who enrolled in public % Enrolled in
72
28
universities, but women only Uni.
28%
Number passed 10,671 7,424
In numeric terms, 10,671
boys and 7,424 girls passed
Number
9,657 3,621
their exams.
enrolled
9,657 men and 3,621
women enrolled in public
Girls’ enrollment rates in public
universities.
universities is not proportionate to
the number passing their exams!!
Prioritization of Maths and Sciences
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Vision 2020, the Government of Rwanda’s plan for
development and poverty eradication, is focused on
developing the Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) sector.
The educational system must develop a skilled labor
force to drive the development of this sector.
Statistically, boys are more likely to pursue science
and technology subjects both in secondary school and
at university.
Admission to science and technology courses at public
universities, and coveted government scholarships in
these fields, more commonly go to men.
Prioritization of Maths and Sciences
(cont)
Gender Distribution of Students in Science and Maths Courses, Rwanda,
2005
Mathematics & Physics
Biology & Chemistry
Electricity
Mechanics & Automotives
All Science and Maths
0%
22
20% 40% 60% 80%
Girls (%)
100
%
Boys (%)
Prioritization of Maths and Sciences
(cont)
Enrollment in Math and Technology  Women are vastly outnumbered
in science and technology
Courses at Public Universities,
fields, both in secondary school
Rwanda, 2005
Agriculture,
ISAE

Science/Tech
KIST

Science/Tech
NUR
Agriculture,
NUR
0%
23
Women
50%
Men
100%
and universities.
Social factors, such as
socialized gender roles, push
girls to pursue social sciences,
arts, etc.
The lack of female role models
in science and technology fields
further discourages girls’
participation- only 5% of
science and mathematics
teachers at secondary level are
women!
Women’s Empowerment ProgrammesThe KIST Example
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24
In 2006, KIST introduced an
affirmative action programme for
200 women who narrowly failed
their exams.
Though fraught with problems
and resistance, 93 students
passed, and were enrolled in
2007.
These students contributed to
gender parity in several
courses, particularly sciences.
Girls continue to lag in
engineering courses.
%
%
Women Women
Before After
EP
%
Change
due to
EP
Biology
29.6
47.9
18.3
Chemis
try
29.7
46.4
16.7
Mathem 34.4
atics
40.8
6.4
Physics 21.9
29.6
7.7
Comp.
Eng.
23.6
2.7
20.9
Poverty
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With the elimination of primary school fees in 2003,
enrollment rates increased substantially.
Nonetheless, in a 2005 citizen report card survey, 42%
of households reported that the costs associated with
education, such as books, uniforms, and lunches, were
a substantial barrier to their children’s educations.
Poverty remains a significant barrier to education for
particular disadvantaged groups, such as orphan
headed households, street children and rural children.
Poverty is even more of a barrier at the secondary and
tertiary levels.
Low Completion Rates

Although Rwanda should
be commended for its
success in increasing
primary enrollment rates,
completion rates remain
far below the average for
Sub-Saharan Africa.
2005
Primary
Completion
Rate
2008 Goal
(Ed. Sector
Strategic
Plan)
Average
Completion
Rate for
SSA
>50%
72%
61%
•According to the recent Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire,
35% of families withdraw their children due to the high costs
associated with primary education, such as books and uniforms.
•An additional 30% cite failure on the primary school leaving exam
as the reason their children drop out.
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Conclusions


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27
Rwanda’s success in increasing primary and
secondary enrollment is largely due to a strong
policy environment, well-budgeted objectives
and firm development goals.
Achieving gender parity in education is a focal
point of these policies. Rwanda has seen
tremendous success at the primary school
level.
Nevertheless, more needs to be done to
promote gender equality at the secondary and
tertiary levels, and to improve the performance
indicators of girl students at all levels.
Recommendations

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Put in place affirmative action measures,
particularly at the university level, and to
promote women’s involvement in
mathematics and science courses.
Make good on budgetary commitments to
address the sources of girls’ absenteeism,
such as inadequate facilities.
Ensure that gender equality commitments
are upheld at the local level, within schools
and at the local district levels.
Recommendations (cont)

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29
Place particular attention on developing girls’
interest in mathematics and sciences at the
primary and secondary levels. The example
of FAWE girls’ school can serve as a model.
Design measures to improve girls’ retention
rates and to lift girls’ performance on
examinations.