Enhancing enrolment, retention and completion of pastoralist children in primary education at Balangdalalu and Mingenyi villages in Hanang district, Manyara Region

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2007

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Southern New Hampshire University

Abstract

This project paper addresses the problem of poor accessibility of pastoral children to Primary Education. Special attention is given to the pastoral Barbaig community in Hanang District as the case study.

The central idea here is to inculcate the importance of education to pastoral communities. Poor accessibility of children to primary education is a major concern. Survey findings indicate low enrolment, high dropout and low retention in the localities visited. It is an indisputable fact that the problem of low enrolment and retention and high dropout is growing with increasing poverty in the area where the survey was conducted. Overall, the persistence of the problem is caused by general poverty status of the majority of parents. Other equally contributing factors were low awareness on the importance of education among parents, non conducive schooling environment, long distance to schools and migration of parents in search of pastures and grazing and associated negative culture and traditions of pastoral communities.

Basing on these findings, GET CBO addressed the primary gaps hindering pastoralist children to access primary education by putting strategies to enhance enrolment and retention and address dropouts. It was also recommended for the government to put in place strategies which respond to the needs and living conditions of children from the marginalized communities, especially the pastoralists in particular in relation to primary education. (Author abstract)

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