Dynamics in Academic Achievement of Female Education in Jima Arjo Woreda and the Role of Governmental and NGO’s Organizations

The study was conducted on issues affecting the academic achievement of female students in selected primary schools of Jimma Arjo woreda while its objective was to investigate the major factors that affect the academic achievements of female students in primary schools of four sampled primary schools/Arjo primary school, Andinnet, Arbi-gebeya and Wayu Warke primary schools. Female students academic achievements show an upgrading from time to time, but still the rise is delicate when contrast to males. The finding identified the five broad categories, Family related, school related, socio-economic related, cultural related were the major factors that affect the academic achievements of females’ education. The common issues household responsibilities, low awareness of parents towards females education, parents financial problems, parents education level, lack of school facilities, school distance, the nature of teacher student relationship, the study behavior female students implement, teaching method teachers use, early marriage, less avails of role models are the main reasons for squat academic achievements of female students on education. To alleviate these upward parents awareness to wards the benefit of educating females, motivating female students, providing financial supports for the poor female students, improving school facilities and protecting female from abduction and early marriage/from any harmful traditions were recommended.


Introduction
The study area is located in Western part of Ethiopia, Oromia regional state, East Wollega zone, Jima Arjo Woreda 379kms apart from the capital city of the center Addis Ababa on south west at the street of Nekemte to Jima.
Education is a social occurrence which contributes a lot of economic, social, cultural and political development of a society. Through education human beings get behavioral change by acquiring knowledge, skill and attitude that enable them to become active and productive member of a society.
Education of women plays a significant role in the full dimensions of development of a country; social returns are high and exceed the returns to male education. That is, female education improves children's health; reduces the number of unwanted births; and causes women to have a small numbers of family sizes. That is why several studies as well as conferences and seminars with in and between countries have focused on gender and education. Thus, education is now recognized as a major vehicle for promoting and improving the status of woman (Teshome Nekatibeb., 2002).
Today, although the academic achievement of female students has increased to some extent, a number of studies have known that female students are less achiever than male students. When Compared to males, particularly, in sampled schools the academic achievement of females were very low (MOE, 2015).
However, students result of 2018 E.C showed that the consideration given to the academic achievement of female students appears to be disappointing in Jima Arjo Woreda in general and in the four sampled schools in particular.

General Overview of Female Education
Education is considered as a means of transforming society and as a catalyst to economic development. It is also considered as a basic human right and an end in it self that is seen as an entrance element of the development process (World Bank, 1998).Thus women and men with better education earn more through out their lives and participate more fully in the civic and political lives of their communities and countries. To spite of the benefits of female education there is persistent gender imbalance in education in favor of male in terms of access to and success due to different reason. However, women and children in developing countries are subjected to various forms of harmful traditional practices (Jancloes, 2002).

Significance of Educating Female
Women's and men's concerns are general development concern, while women's specific concern/special needs, arise due to biological roles. In relation to this some scholars give their suggestions as follows. Fekerate (2006), states that women are not given equal chance with men to education and employment opportunities which are damaging to woman and participation limited out side the home because of certain social norms , attitudes and forbidden. PAMELATAN: WOMEN IN SOCIETY (2006:8) states that 'If parents behave well, children follow their example without being told, if parents behave poorly, children refuse to be disciplined' More over students parents should be authoritative. Such parents provide females with consistent standards to abide by. But they are at the same time willing to guarantee their female to sufficient autonomy. They are flexible, often even willing to learn from them. The female of such parents are socially active and responsible. They have high self esteem and they evaluate their life possibilities, committing themselves to certain values and goals Beside, they are superior in their academic performance in school. Therefore parents play great role for female academic achievement. Some parents favor boy's education than their daughter. They considerer educational and vocational achievement as a major task of boy's. Girls in this curse are with little education most of time and look for a husband.

The Role of School Administration
The educational interest during adolescence especially females focus mainly on school in general. The commonly complain about school regulations, home work, required courses, and the way the school run.
They criticize their teachers and the way they teach. Thus attitude to ward teachers and school polices affect female interests in education. Therefore they become under achievers working below their capacities in all school subjects or in the subjects they lack interests in. However, to over come, the above negative situations the school management should encourage female students to score satisfactory result.

Research Question: The Study Attempted to seek Answers to the Following Basic Question
What are the major factors that affect the academic achievement of female students in selected primary schools of Jimma Arjo Woreda?

Objective of the Study
The main objective of this study was to investigate factors that affect the academic achievement of female students of jima Arjo woreda in selected schools.

Research Method and Methodologies
Descriptive survey method was selected since it helps in describing the present condition of female students academic achievement in education at selected primary schools of woreda and while conducting the researcher employed questionnaires and interviews translated in/native languages/ Afan Oromo.

Background Information of Female Student's Respondents
On the questionnaires, female students were asked to indicate sex, age and living arrangement. These responses of the respondents showed in the table 1. Regarding the background information of the students respondents, the table 1 indicated that all the respondents are females, and the majority of the respondents 62.5% (75) were in the age group 14-16 years and followed by 30% (25) who are 11-13 years old and 14.17% (17) belongs to the 17-19 age category. 2.7% (3) were belongs to20-23 age category. As far as the living arrangement of the female students concerned, a large number 65% (78) of them live with both parents (mother and father). Some of the respondents 12.5% (15) were either living only with fathers. 17.5% (21) were live with mothers only. 2.5% (30were living with their relatives and 2.5% (3) were living with their others.

Females Students Family Background
Parents' level of education and the number of family size have some relationship with academic achievement of females' students in education. Then the female students were asked to give some information about their parents background (see table). Family size: *2 to 5 78 58.33 *6 to 9 40 33.33 *10 to 13 2 7 *Above 13 --*Total 120 100% As indicated in table 2, the majority of the respondents' mothers58.33% (70) had no education while 12.5% (15) were able to read and write. On the other hand, 50 % (60) of the respondent females students reported that there are unable to read and write, but on the contrary to mothers' education level, the majority 19.17% (23) of the respondents indicated that their fathers are able to read and write and16.67% (20) of them reported that their fathers completed primary education. Female students were asked to indicate the number of family size in the questionnaire as shown in table 4, majority of the respondents65% (78) declared that they live with2 to 5 family sizes, 33.33% (40) were live with 6 to 9 family sizes which is a large size according to our country standards.

Family Related Factors
Family plays a very important role in determining the degrees of access that female students have to education and their level of achievement. Kasente (2003) noted that , father can be a player in enhancing girls access to primary education and in urban as well as in some rural areas, mother also either jointly or with the father or singly can influence the decision for a girls to achieve their education. Thus, there are many family related factors including parental schooling, household responsibilities, family size, parent's education and area of residence, family income, and so on. Here is female students respondents of this study were asked to response about the family related factors that affect the academic achievement of females students in primary education. In item 1 of table 3 the respondents were asked to give their opinion about education level of their parents and the obtained result reveals that 108 (90%) of female students agree that female students' academic achievement is affected by the education level of their parents, whereas 7(5.83%) disagree and 5 (4.16%) undecided. In item 2 of the same table most of female students (respondents) believed that 98 (81.60%) were agreed, 17 (14.16%) were disagree and 5 (4.16%) were undecided concerning the issue. In item 4 of table 3, the majority that is 115 (95.83%) of female students were believed that conflict between their parents could affect the academic achievement of female students', 5 (4.16%) were undecided. In item 5 of table 3 most of the respondents 117 (97.5%) agreed that burden at home is one of the factors that affect the academic achievement of female students and only 3 (2.5%) were not decided.

School Related Factors
Schools are the main parts of the educational system, which are considered as a melting pot. However, a number of studies indicated that academic achievement of female students in schools, particularly in the rural areas could be affected by different school related factors. Schools can affect the education of girls and then widen the gender gap in education. Teshome Nekatibeb. (2002), said that working environment, distance to school teacher attitudes, and teaching practice, gender bias in curricula and classroom culture all affect female attainment and persistence in schools. Location of the school, facilities of the schools and quality of teachers have a considerable impact on the academic achievement of the female students in the schools. Here are respondents of this study were asked to response about the school related factors that affect female students' academic achievement in primary schools. In item 1 of table 4 the respondents were asked to give their opinion about nature of assessment and the obtained result reveals that 111(92.5%) female students believed that nature of assessment could greatly affect the academic achievement of female students 'and only 9(7.5%) disagree on the issue raised .
In item 2 of table 4 almost all respondents 116(96.67%) agreed that teaching method teacher use one of the factors that affect the academic achievement of female students, whereas only 4(3.33%) were felt to decide.
In item 3 of table 4 almost all respondents 118(98.33%) agree that the nature of teacher students relationship is greatly affect the academic achievement of female students and only 2(1.67%) were felt to decide.
In item 4 of table 4 the respondents 112(93.33%) were asked to give their opinion about the study female students implement affects their academic achievement and only 8(8.66%) were undecided.
In item 5 of table 1 majority of the respondents 114(95%) were agree that distance from school could affect the academic achievement of female students' and 6(5%) were undecided.
In item 7 of table 4 majority of the respondents 95(79.16%) were agree that nature of the subject matter is one of the factor that affect the academic achievement of female students'.

The Influence of Harmful Culture
A bulletin published by Oromia women Affairs Bureau (2018) states that harmful traditional practice such as abduction, rap early marriage, circumcision, widow in heritance, subordinate saying and the like are the major problems which meteorite the entire life of women in Oromia region. In general women are not regarded as equal to men in the view of the community. There fore giving continuous awareness creation and increasing information flow on current issues on women need especial attention and educating girls are very important to alleviate harmful traditional practices on women.
As the issue of Socio -cultural related factors the study was identified some factors that have a great impact on academic achievement of female education of fear of abduction, lower priority to girls education ,religious beliefs , luck of role models of female students ,poor interest of female towards education and luck discipline among some female students were declared as the series problems that affect the academic achievement of females education. In item 1 of table 5 the majority of respondents 115(95.83%) were agree that the culture from which female students come affects their academic achievement and 5(4.16%) were disagree on the issue In item 2 of table 5 most of the respondents 80(67%) agree that religion is one of the factors that affect the academic achievement of female students, whereas 30(25%) were disagree and 10(8%) were undecided .Similarly teachers replayed that of the female students respondents. As Teshome Nekatibab. (2003) stated that how parents income and their lack of ability to pay for school expenses including payments for school learning materials and house rent is commonly identified as the main problem in Jimma a-Arjo woreda. The other set of factors that affects female students academic achievement in education are school distance, parents financial problems and inability to pay for educational materials and schooling.

Economic Related Factors
The participants from the sampled schools were asked to respond to which some of the economic related factors that affecting the academic achievement of female students in education (See table 6) Regarding the female respondents, majority of 98(81.66%) were, parents financial problems while the other 22(18.33%) were inability to pay for educational materials and schooling.
On the other hand, most of the teachers respondents indicated that 83.87% (26) were parent financial problems, the remaining 5(16.12%) replied that inability to pay for educational materials and schooling. As the view of the two respondents responded that, the most highly affects the academic achievement of female students in education are school distance and parents financial problems.

Sexual Harassments
Un wanted sexual attention can range from unwanted teasing, joking and suggestive gestures rape. Sexual harassment of girls and unequal treatment by teachers favoring seems a prevalent problem in many third world problem.
Though an in depth study on harassment has no been done, cases reported to different institutions show that it is a serious problem in school and some cases of rape have been reported (Emebet, 2003;Teshome Nekatibeb., 2002), pointed out to that sexual harassment as one of the biggest threats to the continuation of achieving by female students similarly, sexual harassment and violence with educational institution create un comfortable milieu to girls for learning

Annotations of Teachers on an Issue in Selected Primary Schools
Concerning this the interviewed expert believed that conducting a research on factors affecting the academic achievement of female student's is very important to encourage them to score good result in class. Because, students of sampled schools as well as Jimma Arjoo Woreda primary schools female students were affected by cultural and environmental factors. So, teachers, parents and school community give great emphasis in helping female to educate and encouraging them to enjoy secondary schools and higher education through hormonal and cooperative approaches together.

Summery and Conclusion
The study was conducted at the selected primary schools of Jimma Arjo Woreda .After closer investigation of the results found through questionnaire and interview the following conclusions were drawn. Female students in primary schools of Jimma Arjo woreda seems to have burden work in their families. Most of them seem to work out side and have household responsibilities too. Usually after school they walked to the field to collect firewood, fetch water from the river, then prepare food, after then participated on hygienic activities that resulted to failed to study their lesson effectively.
Accordingly female students of under studied area academic achievement was affected by parent's financial problems, low awareness of parents to female education, parents use female students as income generating and economic support and transparency of discussion between parents and female students. These hinder them to achieve good result as the analysis of the data collected revealed it female students' academic achievement was affected greatly by traditional culture.