Family Background and Girl Completion Rate in Selected Government Primary Schools in Uganda: A Case of Makulubita Sub-County, Luweero District, Uganda.

ABSTRACT:
The study assessed the effect of family background on child completion rate in selected government schools in Makulubita sub county. The specific objectives were:
to establish the effect of family socio-economic status,
the effect of family cultural attitude, and the effect of parents’ education level on girl-child completion rate in Government primary schools in the sub-county.
A cross sectional research design was used. Participant pupils were selected using simple random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to select teachers and district education officials, and snowball sampling design for parents. The total sample was 95 participants.
The findings show that family socio-economic status and parents ‘education level have a positive significant effect on girl-child primary school completion rate, while family cultural attitude have a negative significant effect. The correlation coefficient of 0.160,0.193 and –0.268 at 0.01 level of significance respectively. The study also found that family income has a great impact on the girls completion of school, socio economic status of parents determines the degree of involvement in children’s education and overall investment in children.
The study also found out that cultural attitudes determine child primary school completion, Cultural attitudes that add little value to girl child than boys increase early girl child drop out of school, Families which emphasize culturally prescribed roles for girls and women especially in the domestic sphere increase early girl child drop out of school.
It was found that parents’ education level determines level of involvement in their children education hence degree of completion, educated parents are vigilant on slight changes in grades of their children, educated parents tend to provide scholastic materials for their children, and parents with lower levels of education tend not to encourage their children at home. The study recommended the following: boosting family income; creating awareness on the need to maintain the girl-child in school; advocating against early pregnancies and marriages; strengthening gender education.