An exploration of structural intervention strategies that could improve sustainable retention of girls in secondary schools in Malawi. A case study of selected secondary schools in Dedza District

Abstract

Education is a key investment in any country’s social-economic development. Every person irrespective of economic status, gender, religion or disability has the right to education. Many African countries, Malawi inclusive, face problems to achieve retention of girls in secondary schools. In Malawian perspective, attempts have been made by the government, organisations and well-wishers, to retain girls in secondary schools through provision of bursaries, entitlements and sexual reproductive health. Dropouts occur even when bursaries, entitlements and sexual reproductive health support were provided. The purpose of the study was to explore structural intervention strategies that could improve sustainable retention of girls in secondary schools in Malawi using selected public secondary schools in Dedza District. The study used mixed methods approach guided by interpretivism and post positivism philosophical paradigms. A sample size of 109 participants comprising 10 head teachers, 50 students, 10 mentor teachers, 10 parents, 10 mother groups, 10 chiefs, 1 CAMFED coordinator, 1 Director for Education, Youth and Sports, 1 Education Division Manager, 5 Civil Society Organisation Leaders and 1 UNICEF education specialist from Dedza District in Central West Education Division and Lilongwe was selected through systematic and purposive sampling techniques. Qualitative data was recorded, transcribed, coded and thematically analysed while quantitative data was analysed using the Microsoft Word Excel to complement the qualitative data. The study had found out that combination social protection, political, socioeconomic, social cultural and individual related structural interventions in a multisectoral approach could address both proximate and distal underlying root cause factors for girls’ dropout. Bursaries, psychosocial support and entitlements alone do not meet all the needs for the girl child to stay in school. The study recommends that government and all education related donors should work as a team, share areas of focus when empowering the education of the girl child, rather than providing the same or related support living out crucial factors not addressed.