The effects of Poverty on primary school going Children in Kyaani Zone Matinyani Sub County Kitui County

Abstract

The study intented to investigate the impact of poverty on primary school going children Kyaani Zone it investigated challenges facing primary school going children poverty being major challenge pupils have been forced to drop out of school due to lack of basic needs ; some parents can’t afford little fees they are required to pay hence compromising Education for many ambitious youth .the study was guided by several objectives it investigated poverty relation to high primary going children drop out in Kyaani Zone it investigated the major causes of poverty on primary school going children it assessed the impact of poverty on enrolment of pupils in Kyaani zone it examined the impact of poverty on school academic performance the study was based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs the theory is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid the largest and the lowest levels of needs at the bottom and the needs for self-actualization at the top the lower four layers Maslow call deficient needs esteem friendship love security and physical needs the lowest is physiological needs if these needs are not met the individual feels anxious and tense Maslow describes this desire to become everything that one capable of becoming these needs mentioned above must be satisfied by all human beings before advancing to other needs in distribution below the poverty line the target population for the study was5primary schools out of 12 school in Kyaani zone approximation of 60 teachers and approximation of 6ooo school going pupils in Kyaani zone this zone this zone is located to the north of Kitui town it is about 20km from Kitui town the relief of Kitui county is fairly flat the researcher adopted the non-probability techniques especially the purposive sampling the researcher adopted structured interviews also be used to teachers parents and children data analysis will be done using bar graphs tables charts this research is expected to benefit the government school managers by shedding light that there is need for the government to finance education fully in primary schools. School managers were encouraged to diversify their income generating activities to finance the pupils who come from poor background. The research found that most schools in Kyaani Zone had enough professional staff, but the area is poverty stricken Zone with most of the school lacking teaching learning aids, poor play ground. Most of pupils who attend primary school can’t afford a meal, enrollment in this area is irregular during first terms its high while during 3 rd term its very low. There are poor students. Poor time management especially when learning interrupted though children being sent out for school fees. The researcher recommended that apart from government financial support the head teachers should look for donation Harambees to raise funds, teachers were encouraged to use locally available materials. Non-governmental organizations were also welcomed to invest in this poverty prone area in order to support the hunger stricken families.