The Role of Extended Families in Improving Education in Rural Areas of Goma Sub County Mukono District

ABSTRACT The study investigated the role of extended families in improving education in rural areas of Goma Sun County, Mukono district. The following objectives guided the study; To investigate the role of extended families in helping family members (children) acquire necessary skills and knowledge in various activities in order to produce self reliant individuals. To investigate whether extended families could be used to restructure the present curriculum so that practicai work is emphasized in order to produce job creators. Findings show that the researcher established that all children who were staying in extended famiiies were being taught various skiiis such as fetching water (mostly), rooking after the young ones, digging in gardens, fetching firewood. Further finding showed that some few aduits from extended families helped to mouid the behavior of the children under their care. Some of these adoptive parents however saw importance in this oractice. i-mdings aiso showed that majority of the teachers tied to provide practical activities to learners during class days, almost ali teachers daimed that thev offered aqriculture as a subject at school. However fewer teachers daimed that they offered aqricuiturai as a subject at schooi. However fewer teachers aareed that thev made orovision for community service and neither did they concur that thev invited resource people to school. Recommendations were made Hke the aovernment needs to sensitize the oooulation about the imoortance of work and its fruits and benefits. The curriculum has to be rescruaurea m accommodate even these oracticai and moral activities. l ne aovernment throuah focal council leaders should sensitize an oeoofe esoeciailv those livina in extended families about their roles in restructurina the oresent curricu!um.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ i

APPROVAL. ................................................................................................................. ii

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................ iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ............................................................................................... iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS······························································································ V

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... vii

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... viii

CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................ I

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1

1.0 Background to the study ............................................................................. 1

1.1 Statement of the problem ........................................................................... 2

1.2 Purpose of the study .................................................................................... 2

1.3 Objectives of the study ................................................................................ 2

1.4 Research questions ....................................................................................... 3

1.5 Scope of the study ........................................................................................ 3

1.6 Significance of the study ............................................................................. 3

1.7 Limitations ...................................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................... 5

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ............................................................... 5

CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................. 10

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 10

3.0 Introduction ................................................................................................. 10

3.1 Research design .......................................................................................... 10

3.2 Area and population ................................................................................... 10

3.3 Sample size and selection techniques ..................................................... 10

3.4 Research instruments ................................................................................. 11

3.5 Reliability of instruments ........................................................................... 11

3.6 Procedure of data collection ..................................................................... 12

V

3.7 Data processing and analysis .................................................................... 12

CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................... 13

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ................ 13

4.0 Introduction ................................................................................................. 13

4.1 Background characteristics of respondents ............................................ 13

4.1.1 Types of families in which children live ............................................... 13

4.1.2 Number of children who are being raised by extended families ..... 14

4.2 The role of extended families in teaching children skills ...................... 15

4.1.2 Type of domestic work assigned to children at home ...................... 15

4.2.2 The role of extended families in social development of children .... 16

4.2.3 The role of extended families in providing education to children

under their care ...................................................................................................... 17

4.2.4 Children's attitude towards extended families ................................... 18

"t.5 can rne eaucauon sector restructure its curriculum to emulate the

iOit: uf extended farnmes in providing chHdren vvith reievant skiib? .............. iO

4.3.l Why the education sector is faiiing to accommodate the skills and

knowiedae which are required by the pupils ...................................................... 20

4.3.2 Why schools do not invite resource people? ...................................... 21

CHAPTER FIVE ..................................................................................................... 23

SUMMARY OF FINDiilGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

'.H

5.0 Introduction ................................................................................................. 23

5.1 Summary of findings .................................................................................. 23

5.2 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 25

5.3 Recommendations ...................................................................................... 25

REFERRENCES ......................................................................................................... 27

APPENDICES ............................................................................................................ 28

Appendix I: Questionnaires ................................................................................... 28