Increasing access of female students to vocational education : a study of the Agricultural School LAMS, Benin

This research sets out to identify the factors that are enforcing gender inequality and influencing the increase of access of female students to vocational education. The study specifically sought to explore the external and internal factors influencing access of girls to agricultural education in LAMS, an agricultural senior secondary school. Several texts, decrees and laws promoting gender equality in technical and vocational education exist in Benin. Unfortunately, according to eight female and six male students, policy implementation by the ministry of technical and vocational education on students’ recruitment and scholarship allocation are not yet adapted to increase access of female students to LAMS; Parental-related factors found to influence access of female students to LAMS are income and earnings, educational attainment, household size and location of residence have negative effects on access of female students to LAMS. According to seven of the female students interviewed, there still exist parents who deny girls’ rights to agricultural education. Eight female and six male students revealed the existence of gender and age preference by parents. But, this is related to the parental earnings. The findings revealed children from family with small size have more access to agricultural education than those from the largest family. In addition, origin of parents constitutes one factor influencing access of female students to agricultural education. Parents native from rural areas are more in good mood to include their daughters in LAMS than those native of urban areas. The children-related factors found to influence access to agricultural education are the difficulties met in general secondary education and the actual job opportunity in agricultural sector in Benin. The need to leave the parents in order to end or avoid conflicts has been also revealed as children-related factors influencing access to LAMS. All the children-related factors influence positively their enrollment in the school. The internal factors are related to the institutional organization, infrastructure and contextual. The infrastructure factors are influencing negatively girls’ access to LAMS. It is related to the limited number of classed and places at the boarding school for girls.