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We must rethink girl child education
For education to be sustainable, schools should be located near homesteads, and girls must reach school safely every day without compromising their security or health. If we do not address the issue of proximity, an open gate remains out of reach.
Mildred Loy Nandera. (Courtesy)
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By Mildred Loy Nandera
For decades, policy discussions on girl child education in Uganda have focused on one visible barrier — the school gate. The assumption is that if the gate is open and fees are paid, every girl will complete school.
However, lived experiences from some rural villages in northern and eastern regions, and peri-urban slums in Kampala tell a different story.
Many girls stand at an open gate but never cross the threshold of meaningful learning. This is because sustainability in education is not achieved by access alone. We must rethink girl child education because it extends beyond the school gate.
Sustainable girl child education begins with proximity, that is to say, when a girl walks 5-10km on unsafe roads before sunrise, physical exhaustion replaces her mental concentration. This clearly reveals that distance is not only silent but also a powerful barrier. During rainy seasons, flooded paths and impassable roads keep her home. Thus, the existence of a school does not guarantee accessibility.
For education to be sustainable, schools should be located near homesteads, and girls must reach school safely every day without compromising their security or health. If we do not address the issue of proximity, an open gate remains out of reach.
The classroom environment determines whether a girl stays and learns or is excluded. We must, therefore, engender classrooms by adopting teaching methods that encourage participation from both boys and girls. Classroom seating should also be arranged to prevent marginalisation. In addition, the curriculum should reflect girls’ realities and challenge harmful stereotypes. Most importantly, teachers must be trained to identify signs of abuse, mentor leadership and confront social beliefs that suggest educating a girl is a waste of money and time. A girl who feels unseen, silenced or unsafe in class will drop out even when tuition is free.
Many girls stand at an open gate but never cross the threshold of meaningful learning. This is because sustainability in education is not achieved by access alone. We must rethink girl child education because it extends beyond the school gate.
Sustainable girl child education begins with proximity, that is to say, when a girl walks 5-10km on unsafe roads before sunrise, physical exhaustion replaces her mental concentration. This clearly reveals that distance is not only silent but also a powerful barrier. During rainy seasons, flooded paths and impassable roads keep her home. Thus, the existence of a school does not guarantee accessibility.
For education to be sustainable, schools should be located near homesteads, and girls must reach school safely every day without compromising their security or health. If we do not address the issue of proximity, an open gate remains out of reach.
The classroom environment determines whether a girl stays and learns or is excluded. We must, therefore, engender classrooms by adopting teaching methods that encourage participation from both boys and girls. Classroom seating should also be arranged to prevent marginalisation. In addition, the curriculum should reflect girls’ realities and challenge harmful stereotypes. Most importantly, teachers must be trained to identify signs of abuse, mentor leadership and confront social beliefs that suggest educating a girl is a waste of money and time. A girl who feels unseen, silenced or unsafe in class will drop out even when tuition is free.
We must also address the reality of the body, girls who sit in class on empty stomachs struggle to concentrate, retain information or participate actively. Clean water is also very critical, schools should provide safe drinking water to avoid frequent illness, absenteeism and later school dropout. Menstruation presents another structural challenge, for instance, a girl cannot attend school during her period without sanitary pads and clean, private toilets. When schools lack these, menstruation becomes a monthly cycle of missed lessons, affecting grades and leading to school dropout. Dignity is, therefore, not separate from learning. It is a condition for it to succeed.
Sustainable education must also be inclusive, girls with disabilities face double exclusion based on gender and disability. Without ramps, accessible toilets, adapted learning materials and supportive teachers, they are locked out even when other barriers are removed. Thus, reasonable accommodation is not charity, it is the fulfilment of the right to education for all girls.
However, solving the issues of proximity, gendered school infrastructure and reasonable accommodation in isolation from household poverty will not guarantee sustainable girl child education. Families that cannot afford scholastic materials and examination fees tend to prioritise boys and abandon girls as well. Sustainable girl child education requires attention to household livelihoods so that parents can meet basic school requirements without sacrifice. Similarly, comprehensive education on sexual and reproductive health is important because it keeps girls informed and less vulnerable to early pregnancy, child marriage and unsafe practices that lead to school dropout.
Our measure of progress must shift from ‘how many girls are enrolled’ to ‘how many girls complete their education to their full potential’. With this shift, we will transform Uganda from communities where only a few girls complete school to communities where every family has an educated girl. This cannot be achieved by opening gates alone but through building schools that are near, safe, clean, equipped and responsive to the needs of girls. When we rethink girl child education this way, we not only change individual lives, but also improve maternal and child health, strengthen families, reduce poverty and build stronger communities for the next generation. It is time to look beyond the school gate.
The writer is a social researcher and station manager at Mount Meru Petroleum Company
Sustainable education must also be inclusive, girls with disabilities face double exclusion based on gender and disability. Without ramps, accessible toilets, adapted learning materials and supportive teachers, they are locked out even when other barriers are removed. Thus, reasonable accommodation is not charity, it is the fulfilment of the right to education for all girls.
However, solving the issues of proximity, gendered school infrastructure and reasonable accommodation in isolation from household poverty will not guarantee sustainable girl child education. Families that cannot afford scholastic materials and examination fees tend to prioritise boys and abandon girls as well. Sustainable girl child education requires attention to household livelihoods so that parents can meet basic school requirements without sacrifice. Similarly, comprehensive education on sexual and reproductive health is important because it keeps girls informed and less vulnerable to early pregnancy, child marriage and unsafe practices that lead to school dropout.
Our measure of progress must shift from ‘how many girls are enrolled’ to ‘how many girls complete their education to their full potential’. With this shift, we will transform Uganda from communities where only a few girls complete school to communities where every family has an educated girl. This cannot be achieved by opening gates alone but through building schools that are near, safe, clean, equipped and responsive to the needs of girls. When we rethink girl child education this way, we not only change individual lives, but also improve maternal and child health, strengthen families, reduce poverty and build stronger communities for the next generation. It is time to look beyond the school gate.
The writer is a social researcher and station manager at Mount Meru Petroleum Company