Publication: An assessment of the factors affecting high dropout in public Primary schools in Ndia Sub County, Kirinyaga County
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2015-02
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Mount Kenya University
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Abstract
The major concern of this study is that despite the Kenyan government re-introducing free primary
education, dropouts of pupils in public primary schools continue to be pervasive. The purpose of
this study was to assess the factors affecting high dropout in public primary schools in NdiaSub
County, Kirinyaga County. The objectives of the study were to establish the factors that affect the
high dropout of public primary schools in Ndia sub county, Kirinyaga County which include: the
school-based factors and students’ behavioral factors, socio-economic factors and socio-cultural
factors. The research is guided by the classical liberal theory of equal opportunity. A descriptive
survey technique was used to collect data, closed and an open-ended questionnaire was used.
Stratified random technique was used to determine the sample size was (Kombo and Tromps
(2006), target population was 4 schools in Ndia Sub County Kirinyaga County with a sample size of
70 respondents. Data was analyzed using MS-Excel Head teachers, Deputy Head teachers and
pupils were sampled using stratified random technique. Individual students were randomly selected
from class five to eight. Pilot tests were carried out for the purpose of determining the validity and
reliability of the questionnaires before they were administered to the respondents. The most
prominent causes of high dropout in public primary schools in Ndia Sub County are negative
attitude towards education, wage labour, family level of education teenage pregnancy, Shortage of
teachers, negative attitude of teachers, drugs abuse, negative attitude of students, child labour,
indiscipline and lack of responsibility among parents. The findings showed that there are social-
economic, socio-cultural, and school based factors that pose a threat to retention of pupils in the
Ndia Sub County. Based on the findings it was concluded that a high dropout in public primary
schools in Ndia Sub County was experienced with form class seven and class eight
pupils/respondents. The study further recommended that the government should enforce adherence
of the laid down policies and procedures such as corporal punishment, repetition and extra tuition.
The government should through the church conduct aggressive campaigns to sensitize the
community on the need of education. Adult education should be introduced to raise the level of
literacy and sense of responsibility among parents.
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Church conduct