The academic piece of writing will discuss on the major causes of gender disparity in the primary

education system of Zambia as well as offer solutions for gender disparity. Therefore, causes of
gender disparity in the primary education system of Zambia are many. However, will look at each
of them as follows;

Giddens (2009), states that long distances from school, resulting in students drop-out or the high
cost of education, which causes parents to send boys instead of girls.

In support to the above statement, in some places the parents do not want to send the girl child to
school. For example, at a place where I normally teach there is a certain parent who has two
children, a boy and a girl; they were all in grade seven. The same children sat for a grade seven (7)
examination and fortunately they all made it to grade eight (8). The parents instead of sending them
all to that particular school, they had to send a boy child saying that they never had enough money
for both.

Furthermore, some of the schools are extremely very far, this is common especially to those
individuals in villages and typical rural areas. In addition, many find that the pupils in order to
reach at that school they cover a distance of about twenty kilometers (20km) of which the parents
see to it that, it is very impossible for a girl child to cover such a distance. Therefore, a girl child is
discouraged and on the other hand, a boy child is encouraged to continue.

However, the solution (s) to the above problem is that, the government should build a lot of schools
especially in the typical rural areas, where parents discourage the girl child. No only that, also the
government workers especially teachers should come in and encourage the parents that even a girl
child can go to school and find a better job like a boy.

Additionally, if pupils used to cover a distance of 20 km, they may be walking a distance of about
500 meters which will lessen the number of drop out of school for girls. Also by reducing school
fees especially for parents who are untenable. If education becomes cheaper, even indeterminate
families will manage to secure education for their children.

Another cause of gender disparity in the primary education system of Zambia is all about personal
factors, such as girls having low self-esteem. Shankarao (2008), observed that in most of the
activities girls have low confidence or think that they cannot do some of the activities as it was said
from the start. For instance, in some of the schools the subjects such as mathematics, metal work as

1|Page
well as science classes are considered for boys and on the other hand, Home Economics and needle
work for girls.

Besides, girls are discouraged just at home before they go to school which is very bad. Here is
situation where a parent has two children a boy and a girl who sat for the end of term exams and
afterwards, a boy did well in mathematics, science as well as metal work and a bit of H. E. and a
girl failed mathematics, sciences and managed to pass H. E. and needle work very well. Now the
father commented to say that, “my daughter do not worry it is normal and very okay to fail
mathematics and sciences because those are meant for boys”. There are also other activities which
are considered for girls and for boys such football is said to be for boys and netball for girls. This is
common in primary education system of Zambia. However, this has totally destroyed the girl child
in the actual sense that they have lost confidence by telling themselves that they cannot play
football but netball which is incorrect (Giddens, 2009).

In order to solve the above problem, there is need to sensitize all shareholders to gender related
issues and ask them to commit to, resolving these issues. Not only that, by involving the girl child
in most of the activities said to be for boys such as soccer girls even in sciences classes. By doing
all this, individuals will see to it that even girls can do any activity even much better that boys.
Consequently, they will stop lowering themselves and this will encourage them to start contributing
to the welfare of the society.

Furthermore, Bruyu et al., (2013) asserts that, cultural and traditional practices, such as initiation
ceremonies that results in certain roles being assigned to girls and boys results in gender disparity.
Indeed, the cultural as well as traditional practices they cause gender disparity. For instance, when
the girl child is taken to initiation ceremonies they are taught a lot of things such as how to cook,
washing, cleaning the surroundings and collecting firewood in preparation for marriage. In addition,
during these cultural and traditional practices, only the elderly women are the only one to teach and
talk to the girls, giving them instructions.

Girls are told that, they are not supposed to let the boys to do some cooking, washing or cleaning
the surrounding when they are around. Same applies to boys, they are also taught what should be
done by them such as looking after cattle, ploughing the fields specifically for men and there should
not be a girl child to do such works because it may be regarded as a taboo. Therefore, due to those
cultural and traditional practices, such as initiation ceremonies which result in certain roles being

2|Page
assigned to girls as well as boys they limit, especially girls in terms of activities because they make
sure that they follow what they are taught there without breaking those rules (Ballantine and
Hamack, 2012).

However, this problem can be resolved by teachers and other educated individuals through
discouraging these acts by providing clear reasons to both parents and girls or children who support
those cultural and traditional practices. By giving examples or situations such as what if at home the
parents are out and there remains a girl child boy, then a girl child becomes sick who can cook,
wash some plates for the boy child, in order for him to eat. By so doing, they will be fuly convinced
that there is no need of cultural as well as traditional practices.

According to Giddens (2009), another cause of gender disparity is textbooks and instructional
materials that convey negative messages about girls. There are some textbooks which reviews bad
messages about girls such as Brenda is dull, she failed mathematics. Not only that, even when it
comes to the names used when giving an example they are the names for boys, which illustrates a
bad picture to girls to say they cannot use the names for boys. This simply tells us that girls are not
considered to be human beings.

In addition, this is also common in schools in the actual sense that, you may find that at a certain
point while the lesson in progress a teacher may need two or four pupils to gives an example instead
of calling two girls as well as two boys in front he would call only boys or one girl and three boys
which is not good to the side of girls. This is the reasons the boys feel to be more superior to girls.
The solution to this problem is by, revising all those instructional materials, such textbooks,
displays as well as examinations questions, and also by the way of refusing to purchase such
materials that do not have a gender balance. Therefore, by doing all that gender disparity will
definitely come to an end (Shankarao, 2008).

Furthermore, the other cause of gender disparity is gender insensitivity. Ballantine and Hamack
(2012) mentioned that, gender insensitivity is common in the primary education around the schools
in the world. For instance, in Zambia just from the classroom practice you would find that the class
registers is in two categories, meaning that there is a separate list for boys and for girls, even sitting
arrangement in class is different girls alone as well as boys alone. And not only that, the uniforms
for the boys are also different too. Additionally, all these they actually promote gender disparity in
the primary education system of Zambia. These are some factors that discourage the girl child from
doing some of the activities which are done by boys thinking that they are specifically for men.

3|Page
However, the solution to the above mentioned gender disparity is by coming up with one
consolidation list for boys and girls as well as the sitting arrangement should be a girl child and boy
child sitting on the same desk. Even the uniform should be same for both girls and boys. Thus, it is
also very cardinal to emphasize on the importance of mixing the boys and girls in a class and
outside, and coming up with one class list. This is actually to promote gender equality for them not
to feel like being separated or loved.

Another cause of gender disparity is male dominance. According to Giddens (2009), male
dominance means that men or boys are the most powerful or important and that they have control
over the women or girls. A lot of individuals they get this concept from the Bible to say the man is
the only one being counted as a human being and that a woman is considered as a helper and that,
girls in most cases the activities they point at boys to say that they can do it. The solution to this is
by telling them that there is no one who is above the other, every individual has power to do
anything of his/her own benefit therefore, it does not matter who he/she is. And that, not all boys
are able to do some of the activities said to be for boys and the same girls are able to do those
activities much better than boys.

Lastly, social factors, such as home chores, which may make it difficult for girls to find enough
time to study at home is also considered as a major cause of gender disparity. Girls at home are not
respected; reason being they may knock off from school at the same time with boys and reach home
together after eating you would find that the parents will tell the girl child to do some cleaning,
whilst a boy child is studying (Giddens, 2009).

In most of the cases the girl child at home may be working throughout, she does not have the time
to rest; socialize with their friend like boys. Therefore, this can be solved improvising working Lota
which involves also a boy child so as to create some space and time to study as well as socialize
with friends because through socialization, individuals learn a lot. Thus, this discourages gender
inequality (Bruyu et al, 2013).

In conclusion, it has been observed that the major causes of gender disparity can only come to an
end if we can identify them thereafter we come up with a solution to the above problems and also
by sensitizing those people who normally promote them by telling them the disadvantages of
promoting gender disparity. And that once encouraged may destruct our nation in the sense that,
some of the individual will stop contributing towards the nation development thinking that they are
useless.

4|Page
 REFERENCES

Bruyu, P. P. Erasmus, M., and Meyer, L. W. (2013). Schools as Organizations. Pretoria: Van
Schaik Publishers.

Ballantine, I. M., and Hamack, F. M. (2012). The Sociology of Education. New Jersey: Pearson
Education Inc.

Giddens, A. (2009). Sociology (6th Ed). New Delhi: Wiley, India.

Shankarao, R. C. N. (2008). Sociology: Principles of Sociology with an Introduction to Social

Thought. New Delhi: Ran Nagar.

5|Page