Growing Up in Kenya: Rural Schooling and Girls reveals the clash between the traditional values and roles of women and the school culture and expectations. Traditionally, women were brought up to value the roles of wife, mother, and cultivator. This book shows the struggle rural girls experience as they try to fit into these traditional roles while meeting the expectations of the school curriculum. Although education is central to a woman's status, because it affects every other aspect of her life, studies indicate that parents have lower occupational aspirations for their daughters than for their sons. This is true for higher socio-economic groups as well as when the daughters' academic performance is superior to that of the sons'.
«Wambui Njuguna's life story gives the reader a window on the day-to-day life and aspirations of girls and women in Kenya. Anne M. Mungai's scholarly research and her own life in Kenya provide documentation of her descriptions of family and social interactions. One hopes that readers will be moved to support the education of women in Kenya and other parts of the world where it is so difficult for them to achieve. By educating women, we educate whole families.» (Lois A. Bader, Professor, Michigan State University)
«Anne M. Mungai's book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the factors impeding the education and achievement of girls and young women in Africa. Domestic educational planners and policy makers as well as international educational consultants will benefit from a careful reading of her analysis and recommendations.» (John Metzer, African Study Center, Michigan State University)
«Anne M. Mungai's book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the factors impeding the education and achievement of girls and young women in Africa. Domestic educational planners and policy makers as well as international educational consultants will benefit from a careful reading of her analysis and recommendations.» (John Metzer, African Study Center, Michigan State University)