- Title
- Social protection and secondary education in Zimbabwe: the case of Masvingo District in Masvingo Province
- Creator
- Mago, David
- Subject
- Zimbabwe -- Economic conditions
- Subject
- Elementary school dropouts
- Subject
- Zimbabwe -- Social conditions
- Date
- 2015-01
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24554
- Identifier
- vital:63170
- Description
- The study sought to examine the role of social protection in reducing school dropouts in secondary education in Masvingo District of Zimbabwe. The study was motivated by the idea that despite the social assistance interventions that are in place, the school dropout phenomenon is still continuing among secondary school learners in the Masvingo District. This was achieved by discussing various programmes delivered by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the government in reducing the number of school dropouts. The thesis also outlined various economic, social and political depressions that affected secondary education since Zimbabwe’s gaining of independence. From 1962 until 1980 the colonial government catered for the European child, this meant that secondary education was difficult to be accessed by blacks. Education maintained a bottleneck structure that favoured whites more than black people. After gaining independence, the Zimbabwe African Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) party introduced laws that allowed the black majority an opportunity to proceed with their education. Over the years the number of school dropouts is still increasing. This was curtailed by the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) in 1991 to 1995. The introduction of the SAPs led to the introduction of user fees in education and health. This raised poverty levels which were curtailed by the macroeconomic situation in Zimbabwe. This was beyond the reach of many and led to the increase of school dropouts in Zimbabwe. The major objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of social assistance in the reduction of school dropouts in Zimbabwe. The specific objectives are to analyse the role played by social assistance on the provision of secondary education and reduction of school dropouts and examining the impact of assistance on the education of the girl child. The last objective in the study was to identify a more comprehensive social assistance intervention for the support of secondary education. A more comprehensive social assistance intervention is intervention that provides support to secondary learners that includes among them uniforms, transport food and school fees. The study adopted the qualitative research methodology. The qualitative research methodology was used because it seeks to go deeper in what people experience on day to day activities. In-depth information helps to understand the successes and failures faced by NGOs and government in reducing the number of school dropouts. The study looked at how effective government and NGO assistance has been in reducing the number of school dropouts. Today there are a majority of NGOs, private organisations and government programmes that are working in secondary education assistance in Masvingo District. What matters most is that despite the growing rate of assistance by NGOs, individual help and government assistance the number of school dropouts is still increasing. The study’s theoretical framework is based on the Human rights based approach and the Transformative paradigm. The analysis relates to social assistance programmes focusing on the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) and NGOs and their contribution in reducing the number of school dropouts. From the research findings, the research established the way forward that can be used to reduce the rate of school dropouts in Masvingo District and Zimbabwe at large. Lack of school fees, school uniforms, food and transport are the major causes of school dropouts in Masvingo District. The findings of the study revealed that Zimbabwe’s social assistance programmes are not adequate in reducing the number of school dropouts. The way forward that was proposed in the study in that the assistance to children at secondary education should be holistic approach. NGOs and government should work together to educate parents and children on the importance of secondary education.
- Description
- Thesis (MSoc Dev.) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (xiv, 117 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Management and Commerce
- Language
- English
- Rights
- rights holder
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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UFH Department of Development Studies
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | David Mago final product from external.pdf | 714 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |