[…] In Kenya secondary education is still very problematic, as it is cost school fees and this money is often too much for the low-earning families. Therefore only 30% of the eligible studets are going to secondary schools in Kenya (Aduda, Daily Nation, 14.06.2007). […]During a three-month stay in Kenya I had the chance to conduct an interview with parents, who send their girls to a secondary school in Mabungo, a village next to the city of Ukunda. My aim was to find out, why parents decided to send the girls to school and what they expect from those investments in the future.
Four leading hypotheses were established before the interviews took place, namely:
1. Families that have the choice of sending boys or girls to school prefer the boys. […]
2. Only parents who are educated themselves also care about education for their children.
3. The work that has to be done around the house prevents parents from sending their children to school, since their working skills are needed in order to feed the family
4. Parents see the investing in their children as a step into a secure future for themselves, which is often the main reason why they send their children to school.
In order to find out whether those hypotheses apply, the interview was constructed around those questions.[…]
The set-up of the paper will reconstruct the approach, which was taken in order to find answers to the hypotheses. In the first part the methodology, which was chosen in order to construct and implement the interview, will be described. After this the answers will be described and it will be shown that especially the fourth hypothesis is true and of crucial importance for parents that send their girls to secondary schools. In the following section it will be checked if the results of the interview are in line with other research practices or if the results differ from what other scientists found out. The special circumstances, which maybe lead to differences, will be described in the next section, and therefore it is of importance to closer, describe the area of the coast in Kenya and the city of Ukunda.
The fifth section will take one finding of the paper under closer investigation. Most parents answered that they send their children to school so that the children can ensure a better future for themselves and for the whole family. It seems like the education of the children can serve as a kind of “retirement fund”. […]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Interview
- Prior Thoughts to the interview
- The directors/sponsors of the school
- Teachers
- Students
- Parents and Guardians
- Set-up of the Interview
- Methodology used by creating this Interview
- Implementing of the Interview
- Results of the Interview
- Prior Thoughts to the interview
- Comparisons with other studies
- Other studies about Education in Eastern Africa
- Studies about Kenya with special emphasis on secondary education
- Common findings of all studies
- Differences between studies
- Possible Explanations of differences between studies
- Kenya
- The coast of Kenya
- Ukunda
- Possible mistakes by conducting the study
- Special features of the Diani Maendeleo Academy
- New trends after the change in government?
- Kenya
- Kenyan compared to German attitudes concerning the family
- Social systems in Kenya and Germany
- The family in the German system
- Attitude towards the family in Kenya
- Resulting Effects in both countries
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study aims to understand the reasons why parents send their daughters to secondary education in Kenya, focusing on the Diani Maendeleo Academy in Ukunda. The research analyzes the motivations and expectations of parents, comparing them to broader societal trends in Kenya and Germany.
- Importance of secondary education for a better future for daughters and families
- Family structures and their role in Kenyan society
- Comparison of Kenyan and German attitudes towards family and social support
- Challenges of the Kenyan educational system and its connection to the job market
- The impact of free primary education and the potential future abolishment of fees for secondary schools.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the topic of secondary education in Kenya, highlighting the challenges faced by low-income families. The second chapter focuses on the methodology used for the interview, outlining the target group and the questions asked. Chapter three presents the results of the interview, revealing insights into the family background of students, the reasons behind their parents' decisions, and the expectations for their future. Chapter four discusses the findings of the interview in comparison with existing research on education in Eastern Africa, particularly in Kenya. It also explores possible explanations for discrepancies between studies, considering factors such as the specific attributes of the Diani Maendeleo Academy and broader societal trends. The fifth chapter delves into the theme of family dynamics, contrasting Kenyan and German attitudes towards family roles and social support systems.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key concepts and themes explored in this work include secondary education in Kenya, family background, parental motivations, educational outcomes, job market challenges, social support systems, family dynamics, gender disparities, and the role of education in developing countries.
- Quote paper
- Daniel Schmidt (Author), 2007, I want my daughter to take care of me - A study about secondary education in Kenya with special emphasis on the family background of the students, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/91674
