Making distinctions: Privatisation and the (un)educated girl on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

This article looks at the effects of privatisation policies on girls' education in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. It begins by describing changes in economic and education policies in Tanzania since independence in 1961. It presents the results of a study about parental wealth and education and the findings from an essay task completed by girls at a secondary school in the region. ¹ The article also provides life-history sketches of several girls who have not attended secondary school and a discussion of the social and economic factors that mark the distinction between "educated" and "uneducated" girls in Tanzania today. These different sources of information show how cultural notions about gender and economic hardship in Kilimanjaro work together in making the attainment of a secondary school education an untenable goal for girls from poor households.