residential schools on the other hand contribute to the enhancement of the academic performance of students including that of girls by sparing them the burden of travelling long distances and performing domestic chores one of the disadvantages of residential schools is the risk they pose of physical and sexual abuse indigenous girls are often at risk of becoming pregnant and then dropping out of school and in some cases expelled from school not only is the enrolment rate for indigenous children especially for the girl child very low but there is a higher dropout rate among indigenous children