Factors affecting school attendance in Buikwe district, Uganda

Understanding the factors affecting school attendance is crucial for developing effective educational policies and interventions, particularly in regions with high absenteeism rates. This article focuses on explaining the factors affecting regular school attendance in the Buikwe district in Uganda. The primary data for this research were collected based on a questionnaire survey in three prima¬ry schools in the district. The sample included 480 participants, covering the period from February to September 2018. Using the Poisson regression technique, the analysis focused on factors affecting the pupils’ number of absences per month (M = 1.54 days of absences, SD = 2.45 days). The results suggest that there are at least three factors with strong effects on the number of absences. First, it is clearly shown that children from female-led families have significantly lower absences. Second, children from incomplete families with one or both parents missing have significantly higher absences. And third, children receiving support through various sponsorship programs attend school more often. The results also confirm the trade-off between school attendance and paid child labor as well as the fact that education of parents (mothers) plays a role in school absenteeism of children.