Abstract:
This study was conducted in 2003 to investigate factors affecting primary school education on
enrolment and dropout in Maasai community in Enduimeet Division, Monduli District in Arusha
region. Data was collected from 120 respondents who were randomly selected from six villages basing
on three categories namely parents/villagers, primary school pupils and primary school teachers by
using structured questionnaires. Descriptive analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) was employed as a tool of analysis to determine factors affecting primary school education in
Maasai community. The descriptive results revealed that, primary school enrolment and dropout in
Maasai community is affected by early and forced marriages, cultural practices, migration of parents,
low parental educational awareness, death of bread winners, long distance from home to school, and
the need for child labour. Although inadequate learning materials and family's separation did not affect
the primary education significantly, these two factors have played a role in reducing enrolment and
increasing dropout rate in some families. According to the research, parental education level determines
very much the educational level of parents, the higher the opportunity for the children to be enrolled in
school and vice-versa for low parental education. The findings also revealed that the dropout rate in
higher to uneducated families than to the educated ones. The degree in which pupils’ dropout from
schools to attend cultural activities such as circumcision is higher to uneducated parents than to
educated ones.
