Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

Figure 2.4 Net and Gross Attendance Ratios by Sex10080Percent6767679784916040202123223631330PrimarySchoolSecondarySchoolNet Attendance RatioPrimarySchoolSecondarySchoolGross Attendance RatioMale Female TotalZDHS 2001-2002Provincial differentials show low net attendance ratios in Eastern, Luapula, and Western provinces.The NAR is higher for females than males in Eastern, Lusaka, North-Western, and Southern provinces. Atsecondary school level, the NAR is higher for females than males in all provinces except Luapula, Lusaka,and North-Western provinces.The Gender Parity Index represents the ratio of the GAR for females to the GAR for males. It ispresented for both the primary and secondary level and offers a summary measure of the extent to which thereare gender differences in attendance rates. A GPI less than 1 indicates that a smaller proportion of femalesthan males attend school. Overall, the Gender Parity Index is less than 1 for both primary school (0.9) andsecondary school (0.9). For primary school, the index is 0.9 in urban areas and 0.8 in rural areas, comparedwith 0.8 and 0.7, respectively, at the secondary level.2.4.3 Grade Repetition and Dropout RatesBy asking about the grade or standard that primary school age children were attending during theprevious school year, it is possible to calculate dropout rates and repetition rates (see Table 2.6).Repetition and dropout rates are important in assessing how students are progressing through theprimary system. The repetition rate represents the percentage of children reported to have been in a givengrade during the prior school year who are in the same grade during the current school year, i.e., thepercentage of students who are repeating the grade. The dropout rate represents the percentage of childrenreported to have been in school during the prior school year who are not currently attending school.Overall, repetition and dropping out of school is high in Zambia at grade 7. Table 2.6 shows thatrepetition is highest at grade 7 and grade 1 (7 percent). Repetition rate at grade seven is higher in rural areas(11 percent) than in urban areas (4 percent).The highest dropout rate is 17 percent for grade 7, compared with 5 percent for grade 6 and 4 percentfor grade 4 and grade 5. This is understandable, since grade 7 marks the end of primary school.Characteristics of Households and Respondents | 19