Free and Compulsory Primary Education in Tanzania: Challenges to A girl Child in Rural Areas

This paper aimed to assess the challenges that are faced by a girl child in rural Tanzania, for the government’s attention of both access and quality primary education to be achieved. The study dealt with the assessment of all kinds of challenges that hinder girl children from participating in primary education, dropping out from school and those challenges that make them perform lower than boys in academics. The study adopted qualitative multiple case-study approach with multiple instruments of data collection (interview, non-participatory observation, and document analysis) for the study to deeply collect data on the participation of girl child in primary education for rural areas in Tanzania. The study found that intimidations of some parents to girl children are intentionally used so that they cannot pass their final primary education examination in rural areas so that they can get married and be source of money. Maid business from rural to town was also shown as the factor affecting most of the girls in rural areas, Girl children being overworked and inadequate number of female teachers were revealed as source of low attendance of girls to school Key words: Education, Free Education, Compulsory education, Girl child, rural areas DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-6-07 Publication date:March 31st 2019