Breaking Barriers: A Qualitative Study of the Socio-Economic Factors Shaping Education in Lukulu and Mitete Districts of Western Province in Zambia

Abstract

This research investigates the influence of poverty, infrastructure, health, and gender norms on educational access in the rural districts of Lukulu and Mitete in Western Zambia. The study employs a qualitative, exploratory design utilizing interviews, focus groups, and document analysis with teachers, parents, traditional leaders, and learners, demonstrating that schooling is impeded by intersecting socio-economic barriers. Zambia has pledged to universal and inclusive education; however, concealed expenses (uniforms, examination fees, transportation), child labor requirements, overcrowded and inadequately equipped classrooms, insufficient sanitation, and persistent malnutrition persistently hinder enrollment, attendance, and educational outcomes. Girls must deal with early marriage, a lot of housework, and cultural norms that put boys’ education first. The results demonstrate that the failure of education is not attributable to insufficient policy rhetoric, but rather to the structural erosion of children’s right to learn due to economic pressures at the household level. The paper contends that integrated, community-driven solutions should amalgamate economic assistance, school nutrition programs, infrastructure development, and gender-transformative social reform. Providing meaningful educational equity in rural Zambia is both a duty to protect human rights and a way to boost the economy as ultimate goal of effective educational management.