Reasons Students Gets Poor Grades

Trend and causes of Female Students Dropout

Wudu M. & Getahun F

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

TREND AND CAUSES OF FEMALE STUDENTS DROPOUT FROM TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OF ETHIOPIA: THE CASE OF JIMMA UNIVERSITY
Wudu Melese* & Getahun Fenta**
Abstract This article examines the state of female students’ enrollment and dismissal rate and major factors that cause them to dropout from the higher learning institutions. Data were collected from the drop out students, instructors, gender officers and guidance and counseling office of the University through questionnaires, interview and focus group discussion. Moreover, secondary data were collected from the university registrar. The results of the study reveal that though the enrollment rate of female students increased from time to time there is a wide gap between the two sexes. Moreover, the dismissal rates of female students are greater than males. The major factors that caused female students to be dismissed from the university include harassment, homesickness, lack of assertiveness training, teachers gender insensitivity, absence of special support program, poor time management, anxiety, financial problems lack of proper guidance, and counseling service and department placement without interest.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Ethiopia is one of the poorest and educationally disadvantaged countries in the world. Rose (2003: 1) predicted based on the data of 1993/94 that when the primary gross enrolment ratio was just 30 percent for boys and 19 percent for girls. It was predicted that “in spite of recent enrolment increases, with no other changes to admission rates or to progression rates

within the system, by 2008/09 almost twothirds of the school-aged population would still remain out of primary school, and the gender gap would worsen”. The existing literature also reveals unsatisfactory pictures of a stark gender imbalance against females. As Seyoum (1991) indicated, after a long time in 1974 the rate of female enrollment

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