Socialization, Gender, Academic Achievement And Aspirations Of Secondary School Pupils In Zimbabwe

The under achievement of girls at secondary school level in Zimbabwe is a problem which has its roots in the Colonial Era when access to higher levels of schooling for Black pupils was extremely restricted for both sexes. Only ten percent of primary school leavers entered secondary school and two percent reached ' Form IV.1 At the Form IV level the ratio of boys to girls was 3:1. Similar sex ratios have been reported by other researchers in Africa.-^ In fact in most of Africa south of the Sahara the education of girls has lagged considerably behind that of boys.^ In this paper the effects of gender and academic attainment, educational and career aspirations as well as access to schooling will be examined both before and after independence. Cultural and economic factors which contribute to gender differences in secondary school pupils attainment and aspirations will be considered and the extent to which these have persisted despite greater access to schooling since independence.