Analysis of challenges caretakers face in the provision of education to foster children: a case study of Kampala primary schools.

Abstract

The study investigated the challenges caretakers of foster children face in the provision of formal education to foster children in Kampala district. This came about due to the outcry of both caretakers and foster children in the struggle to provide and acquire formal education regardless of the effort of the government of Uganda has put in place to provide Universal Primary Education. The study therefore focused financial and social challenges caretakers of foster parents face and how these challenges affect the academic performance of students in Kampala district.

Using six selected primary schools, the study employed a cross sectional survey design in which both qualitative and quantitative survey designs were applied. The instruments used in data collection included questionnaires and interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and qualitative data were analyzed as research progressed.

The study revealed that caretakers were faced with economic challenges such as provision of scholastic materials, transport, buying food, payment of school fees in the provision of formal education to foster children. The study also revealed that there social challenges such as family conflicts, poor accommodation, indiscipline cases and feeding of foster children.

The study concluded that not all caretakers of foster children provide school requirements to foster children which have declined the morale of foster children in attaining formal education. On the social challenges, the study concluded that foster children are faced with a challenge of growing and attaining education in families which they do not belong to; this psychologically affects a child’s social life and learning.

It is recommended that caretakers of foster children should ensure that they provide all the necessary school requirements to foster children the same way they provide them to their biological children. School administrators should always ensure that they know the relationship between the person paying school fees and providing requirements at school. The government through the Ministry of Education and Sports should find out ways of helping families with foster children which cannot afford to meet the demands of foster children.