Gender in School Leadership

Gender Stereotypes in schools

Below are some stereotypes that may be held by teachers and head teachers about boys and girls in a school:

Here are some examples of gender equity challenges in East African schools (Zuze & Lee, 2007; Mlama, 2005):

• Young girls who drop out of school to take care of their young siblings;
  
• Young girls who drop out of school to become nannies;
  
• Young girls who are not allowed to participate in school clubs like their brothers because of being busy with domestic chores;
  
• Young girls who are absent from the school because there are no hygienic facilities;
  
• Girls being involved in sweeping while boys are playing or reading story books;
  
• Boys who dropped out from school and perform child labour such as making bricks, mining, keeping animals etc.
  
• Social norms that boys are better at maths and science than girls;
  
• Girls are viewed as temporary residents in the parental home so returns on education will be enjoyed by the husband's family;
  
• Different treatment in classroom of boys and girls 
  

Do you recognize these stereotypes and issues? Can you add more? What are you doing to address them?

Please discuss these questions in the forum!