A Qualitative Study of the Academic Hurdles Faced by Girls in Rurals Regions

A Qualitative Study of the Academic Hurdles Faced by Girls in Rurals Regions Z. Farzizaadeh, Ph.D. M. Taaleb, Ph.D. M. Motavaseli, Ph.D. Education as an important step in the process of empowerment, is considered as a natural human right and as such plays an important role in human development. One of the obvious problems in the countryside is the girls either do not attend school or drop out of school in early years. To explore the hurdles faced by girls in some villages of Rezvaanshahr, a number of people were interviewed and situations observed. Data analyses revealed a set of socio-cultural and economic factors forcing girls out of schools. Among these, parental disbelief in girls schooling, emphasis on early marriage, people’s gossips, and discriminating against girls in favor of boys, are all rooted within the local social fabric fed by traditional beliefs. The incompatibility of the curricula with the abilities and interests of the learners is also among factors that breed disinterest in schooling, while the distance between schools and homes, the insecurity of the roads, and low economic status of the villagers further exacerbate the problem. Keywords: education, empowerment, rural girls, good life, formal and informal institutions