The persistent poor performance among girls in science subjects has been blamed on the widely held misconception that there is a strong link between one’s sex and academic excellence.
A new report by the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) ranks girls as the worst performers in Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Mathematics compared to boys in the last three successive years.
The report released recently shows that in the 2012 UCE results, 75.6 per cent of female candidates who sat for Chemistry scored F9 compared to their male counterparts whose failure rate stood at 66.6 per cent.
Janet Ajok, a S. 3 student of Alero Secondary School in Nwoya district says she has been told on several occasion that sciences are for boys while arts are more feminine.
Ajok says, “Even if girls are interested in science subjects, the community around them including teachers always wants to see girls concentrate in arts subjects while boys are asked to choose what they want to be.”
However, Ajok who will sit for Ordinary Level certificate in 2016 says she wants to break the cycle and become a doctor in the future.
She also blamed girls for being reluctant to take up sciences by not adventuring into the male dominated area of interests.
Ms Lucy Akello, the Head teacher of Pabbo SS in Amuru district says she felt a victim of such myths some years back after she wanted to join Advanced Level (‘A’ Level) as a science student.
Akello explained that, “When I wanted to pursue sciences, I was discouraged even when my grades in subjects such as Chemistry, Physics and Biology were average.”
Akello says she was left with no option but to offer arts subjects as all the advice that she received were against her wish to study sciences because of the traditional belief.
With distinctions in arts subjects at Ordinary Level, Akello offered pure arts at ‘A’ Level and later ended up becoming a secondary school arts teacher.
Mr Michael Apire, the Head teacher of Gulu Secondary School says, “There is need to carry out a research in order to ascertain if there is a link between sex and sciences performances. It may help to do away with the stereotype held for long that girls are poor performers when it comes to offering sciences at school.”
Rev. Vincent Ocheng Ocen, the Gulu District Education Officer (DEO) says the problem is deep rooted and there is need to demystify.
According to Rev. Ocheng, the problem can be solved if teaching and learning sciences can be made more practical rather theoretical in schools.
