Factors Affecting Primary School Education Among Maasai Community in Tanzania

Abstract

This study was conducted in 2003 to investigate factors affecting primary school education on enrolment and dropout in Maasai community in Enduimeet Division, Monduli District in Arusha region. Data was collected from 120 respondents who were randomly selected from six villages basing on three categories namely parents/villagers, primary school pupils and primary school teachers by using structured questionnaires. Descriptive analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was employed as a tool of analysis to determine factors affecting primary school education in Maasai community. The descriptive results revealed that, primary school enrolment and dropout in Maasai community is affected by early and forced marriages, cultural practices, migration of parents, low parental educational awareness, death of bread winners, long distance from home to school, and the need for child labour. Although inadequate learning materials and family's separation did not affect the primary education significantly, these two factors have played a role in reducing enrolment and increasing dropout rate in some families. According to the research, parental education level determines very much the educational level of parents, the higher the opportunity for the children to be enrolled in school and vice-versa for low parental education. The findings also revealed that the dropout rate in higher to uneducated families than to the educated ones. The degree in which pupils’ dropout from schools to attend cultural activities such as circumcision is higher to uneducated parents than to educated ones.