The cost of education
There are a lot of costs associated with sending children to school. Things like uniforms, textbooks, transport, and lunchboxes can lead to girls dropping out of school. When they can’t afford to send both to school, parents will often choose to keep a girl at home to help with household tasks while sending their boy to school.
Transport and safety
In some instances children have to make use of unreliable transport or walk far distances to get to school. This can be very unsafe, especially for girls who might be more vulnerable.
Health
Health conditions like HIV Aids and TB is a big concern in South Africa and poverty further contribute to malnourishment and days missed at school. Statistics shows that the more days a child misses at school, the bigger the chance of them dropping out of school becomes.
Teenage pregnancy
Although schools accommodate pregnant girls and allow them to write their exams, the stigma still keeps a lot of them out of school. Some parents take their child out of school and expect them get married once they fall pregnant.
Poor sanitation and access to sanitary pads
Sometimes girls don’t have separate toilets at school and stay out of school when they menstruate. About 10 percent of African girls miss about 20 percent of their school days due to menstruation. Girls also make unsafe/unhealthy plans when they can’t afford sanitary pads or they stay out of school missing out on education.
You might want to read more about how movement can help you learn.
