Education

Whereas information on literacy covers persons 11 years and older, questions on school attendance is asked persons 3 years and older. Table 3.10 shows the population 3 years and older by level of education, school attendance and sex. Primary school recorded the highest proportion of 50.5 percent for those who are attending school.

Those in vocational, technical or commercial recorded the least with 0.1 percent. Majority of the male population, i.e. 49.6 percent are still in school and at the primary level followed by Junior Secondary School/Junior High School with 17.2 percent of the male population currently in school at that level. The same applies to the female population where students in the primary schools constituted more than half (51.7%) followed by JSS/JHS, which is 16.0 percent. The reason for primary school constituting majority of the school going population is probably because there are six year groups in the primary school whiles that of the JHS/JSS is only three years.

The other half of the table represents those who had attended school in the past. There is a correlation between the level of education and the number of people with the females being more than the males. Majority (44.7%) of the male population who had attended school in the past ended at the primary level. This is probably due to the location and economic situations of people in the district. Students at certain age groups dropped out at the primary level to assist their parents on their farms.

This is followed by SHS/SSS where 22.2 percent of the male population who had attended school ended their education. Majority of the female population who had attended school in the past, i.e. 68.5 percent ended at the Primary level followed by SHS/SSS where 13.0 percent ended their education. From table 3.9, no one ended their education at the kindergarten or the nursery level. Furthermore, while 5.6 percent of the males ended their education at the post-secondary level only 1.7 percent of the females ended at that level.

The District as at the end of December 2005 had 30 Kindergartens, 82 Primary Schools, 17 Junior Secondary Schools and 2 Senior Secondary Schools.

The achievements in enrolments and Gender Parity indices at all levels can be attributed to the following:

1.     The cumulative effects of years of community sensitization.

2.     The introduction of the capitation grants.

3.     Interventions (bicycles to needy girls, food ration etc.) by donors such as UNICEF, WFP, and other development partners.

4.     Female role visits to communities and schools.

The main challenge however, is the quality of education which, is being compromised as a result of the critical shortage of teachers in the District.