Publication:

An investigation on the factors affecting the girl-child in primary school education: A case study of Ngenda Location in Gatundu South.

Women form a pivotal position in the development of any nation. To make informed decisions in personal and national development women need to improve cognitive and intellectual development a role that is played by education. Sixty to eighty % of the agricultural labor is supplied by women the world. Kenya as an agricultural country needs to do all it can to ensure that this vital human resource is educated. Investing in the woman pays a higher dividend compared to investing in males in terms of development and a lifeline to a better future for all and the key to empowered societies and flourishing economies (UN Women, 2015). By the year 2010 most of the civil service had attained the affirmative action of by improving the % of women to 30% (Ministry of Gender Children,and Social Development, 2010). The 30% empowerment of women requires a high girl child enrollment and retention to position women in a strategic position to take these positions. As we create healthy literate and employable human resource where is the woman (United Nations, 2000)? As professor Kaimenyi observed while releasing 2014 KCSE results only 39% girls obtained c+ and above compared to 61% by their counter parts (SAM RACK DIASPORA NEWS, 2015). What happened to the girls? Were they enrolled in the first place, did they drop out along the way, are they inferior to the boys? This study is aimed at investigating the factors affecting girl child primary school education in Gatundu south. The findings from the research indicate that girls have challenges that may contribute to dropping out of school. Pregnancy for pupils was evident as 67% knew of a girl who has left school due to pregnancy as told by the pupils. The principals confirmed this during the interviews. This community as the rest of Kenya exhibited effects of poverty as menstruating girls (28 %) had no access to sanitary towels. Even for those who said the towels were available the total availability was only to 35%. Almost 60% of the pupils sampled use kerosene for lighting whose supply may be a challenge. Corporal punishment is rampant in all the schools as told by the girls. The sanitary facilities in the schools are in the border line compared to the ministry recommendation of I toilet to 25 girls. All the 3 school had slightly more than 25 girls sharing a toilet. Though the study did not go deep into differentiating what kind of chores that the girls are doing after school, almost the whole sample was involved in house chores after school which may represent an element of child labor. Twenty five percent of the girls feared of dropping out of school. This may represent a low self-efficacy and self-esteem on the girls.