Pesha, John Chrisostom2025-02-062025-02-062009https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6552DissertationThe government of Tanzania formulated different educational programmes in order to improve the quality of primary education and ensure that every citizen gets primary education. Such programmes were UPE in 1970s and PEDP in 2001. Both programmes brought impressive results in education sector because the quality of basic education was improved and enrollment rate increased to 97% countrywide. Despite the above mentioned achievements, findings from different studies reveal (hat girls' dropout continues to take place in both urban and rural primary schools. For example, in 2005, girls' dropout rate was more than 35% countrywide and in 2006 dropout rate reached 62.3% in Morogoro District. In addition, a large number of girls fail to complete primary education in rural areas. This study examined factors contributing to girls' dropout in rural primary schools. Morogoro District was taken as a case study. The study was conducted in Mikese, Kiroka. Mkambarani and Kinole wards. Simple random sampling was used to select the four wards. The study involved 100 girls who dropped from primary schools and snow ball sampling procedure was employed to select them. Purposive sampling procedure was applied to select pupils for FGD and key informants, namely: parents, teachers. governmental officials and political leaders because with purposive sampling, the study is likely to get actual information from target population. Key informants discussion, Focus Group Discussion and secondary sources were used to gather supplementary information. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze data and the results revealed that girls’ dropout in rural primary schools were caused by income poverty at household level, child labour, teenage pregnancy, early marriage, loss of parents and biological and social changes occurring during adolescence and puberty periods, The study, therefore, recommends that the government especially the responsible ministries should work with other stakeholders Including NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and the community in fighting and eliminating all undesirable cultural practices like early marriage in order to support girls’ education. Moreover, the study also recommends that, the government should review The Law Marriage Act of 1971 so as to stop pre - mature marriages and create conducive environment for girls to study and complete primary education successfully.enGirls’ school dropoutRural primary schoolsGirls’ educationEarly marriageTeenage pregnancyThesis