Balancing Family And Academic Responsibilities In Higher Learning Institutions: Experience From Undergraduate Married Female Students At The State University Of Zanzibar

ABSTRACT

This report informs about the experience of undergraduate female married students in higher learning institution on balancing between family and academic responsibilities in Zanzibar. The Zanzibar State University (henceforth SUZA) was used as a case of this study. Based on the Patriarchy Theory, the study determined to establish the prevalence of undergraduate female married students and explored the academic-related residency and mobility challenges among undergraduate married female students at SUZA. The study was further extended to examine the time distribution between family and academic responsibilities among married female students and assess the management of academic responsibilities during pregnancy among married female students. The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches with the sample of fifty seven, including fifty six students and the dean of the students. Data were collected by using questionnaires, interviews and documentary review. Analysis of the data obtained revealed that married female students got some challenges in their study, including arriving late in the morning lectures, postponement of semester examinations due to pregnancy, shortage of time for doing revision, difficulties in participating in social activities and in balancing between academic and family responsibilities. The study recommends that female married students be heard by the university management since they face a lot of challenges as they struggle to balance between family responsibilities and academics. The school managements should also think of making the school timetable flexible enough to accommodate married students as the majority of them stay outside the university campuses and face transport challenges to and from the university.