in responses to the following statements (p. 36):
C'est auprès de sa mère et non à l'école qu'une fille reçoît le meilleur de son éducation
(54% agree)
Quel que soit son degré d'instruction, une femme ne doit pas se croire l'égale de
l'homme . (70% agree)
The author concludes ruefully that if teachers try to develop less passive behaviour in
girl pupils, they may be reproached by parents for making girls "effrontée" or
"insolente". The teachers themselves may not really be convinced about encouraging
girls to talk more: they may feel that since girls are by nature chatty - "loin de leur
apprendre à ouvrir la bouche, c'est à se taire qu'on devrait les inviter", (p. 37).
Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SWAINSON, Nicola (1995) Redressing gender inequalities in education: a review
of constraints and priorities in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, ODA, London
Dr Swainson describes this report as "primarily a desk study": she has gathered
together, as indicated in her Bibliography, not only the usual sources but an enormous
number of reports, papers and lectures, often in mimeograph and not easily accessible,
to put together this up-to-date and very useful survey.
In the first part of the report she examines the international evidence concerning the
benefits of female education and then reviews the literature that outlines the nature and
extent of gender disparities in education in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This
chapter contains a wealth of information and statistics (so far as they are available) on
educational expenditure patterns, enrolments and wastage, performance and attainment,
and literacy rates. The first part ends with a chapter which examines factors shaping
gender inequalities in education and stresses that-
"inequalities stem from gender relations in society at large and these are
reflected in and played out in the school system itself," (p 16).
Factors covered include economic restraints, the effect of woman's opportunities (or
lack of them) in the labour market, the contribution of girls to household tasks, the
socio-economic status of families, parental attitudes and influence, initiation practices
and early marriage, and sexuality and sexual harassment. Swainson then examines
school-based factors such as the school environment, teachers' expectations and
attitudes, and single-sex education.