Enhancing Gender Equity in STEM Education: A Comparative Study of the Impact of School Ownership on Female Enrollment

<ns3:p>Investment in education to guarantee gender equity in developing countries has often focused on pedagogy, facilities, and cultural factors. However, private schools provide examples that, if leveraged, can improve girls’ enrollment in STEM education. This quantitative comparative study examined the impact of school ownership on female enrollment in Mbeya City, Tanzania, analyzing 7936 candidates from 58 secondary schools (32 private) who sat for the 2022 Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE). Of these, 2232 candidates were from private schools. Analysis using chi-square tests and graphical methods revealed that private schools not only had higher female enrollment in STEM subjects but also showed no gender bias in performance, whereas boys outperformed girls in public schools. Among 2202 candidates who passed basic mathematics, 999 were girls, with 626 (63%) from private schools. The study concludes that collaboration with private schools can enhance female enrollment and close gender gaps in STEM performance. It recommends that policymakers engage private schools and encourage science students to take both physics and mathematics for sustainable STEM education development.</ns3:p>