Education disparities between boys and girls in Namibia
In-depth analysis of academic underperformance
Unam has launched a report aimed at addressing the academic performance gap between girls and boys.
The University of Namibia (Unam) made a significant stride in addressing gender disparities in education by launching the 'Namibian Boys Underachievement and Under-Participation in Education' research report at its Khomasdal Campus in Windhoek. This research aimed to uncover the causes behind the academic performance gap between male and female learners and shed light on its educational and socio-economic implications. Utilising a pragmatic parallel mixed-methods research design coupled with systematic, criterion and case study sampling techniques, the research team collected comprehensive data from all 14 educational regions of Namibia.This data was obtained through structured questionnaires administered to 4 659 secondary school learners, 528 secondary school teachers, 182 parents, 122 university lecturers, and 807 university and vocational training centre (VTC) students. Qualitative insights were also gathered through focus group discussions with selected secondary school learners, secondary school teachers, parents, and university students.
Research findings
Professor Roderick Zimba, the research team leader, highlighted key findings that emphasised how male students were disengaging from school activities, getting involved in self-destructive behaviours and under-participating in education due to school dropouts.
Document analysis revealed that challenges such as low survival rates, low promotion rates, high failure rates, and high dropout rates among boys were affecting their academic achievement in all 14 education regions at the secondary school level. At the tertiary education level, the evidence demonstrated a persistent trend of significantly higher enrolment of female students in both public and private Namibian educational institutions over the past three decades.
Additionally, female students consistently outperformed their male counterparts in all tertiary education institutions over a span of more than 30 years.
Research recommendations
Zimba stressed the importance of adopting an ecological developmental systems approach to enhance boys' academic achievement. Furthermore, he urged the need for educational policy reviews to consider boys' and men's education. He also highlighted the importance of community-focused interventions, university-based initiatives, and other stakeholder-driven interventions.
Use of the report
Zimba emphasised that this research could serve as the foundation for a national paradigm shift towards gender equality in education. It could also guide policy reviews aimed at achieving quality education for all and advocate for boys' and men's education. Additionally, the report can be a valuable resource for ongoing research in this field, offering insights for interventions in male education and serving as a reference for intersectoral programming in education.
The university's vice chancellor, Professor Kenneth Matengu, officially launched the research report and handed it over to the relevant stakeholders. In his address, he acknowledged the significance of this research in addressing gender disparities in education. However, Professor Matengu also shared that, in light of this report, he still has lingering questions.
He pointed to a recently released report by UNESCO, which touches on the critical issue of learning poverty and reveals some startling statistics. These findings further underscore the need for ongoing research and concerted efforts to ensure equitable and quality education for all in Namibia.
Unam launches the Namibian Boys Underachievement and Under-Participation in Education research report. Photo: Junior Kapofi