Thesis:

An investigation of factors that influence pupils’ dropout from public primary schools in Lokori division, turkana East Sub-County, Turkana county, Kenya

Education plays a vital role in national and individual development. However, dropout poses serious setbacks to gains in education despite government effort to introduce free primary education in 2003 and update. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence pupil’s dropout in public primary schools in Lokori Division, Turkana East sub-county in Turkana County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to determine socio-economic factors that influence pupil’s dropout in public primary school, to identify school-based factors that influence pupil’s dropout in public primary schools, to establish out pupil’s personal factors that contribute to their dropout in public primary schools and to analyse cultural factors that influence pupil’s dropout in public primary schools. The study adopted the social capital theory by James Coleman 1988. The study identified a descriptive survey design in gathering data on factors influencing pupil dropout. This study targeted a total population of 1092 respondents comprised of 1061 pupils and 31 head teachers in the Lokori Division. Out of this target population, a sample size of 3 head teachers and 106 pupils were selected using a 10 percent representation of the targeted population. A simple random sampling technique was applied to identify both pupils and head teachers. Data were collected by the use of pupil's and head teacher’s questionnaires to gather information on the factors that influence pupil’s dropout. The questionnaire response rate included 103 for pupils and 3 for head teachers representing a 97 % return rate. These instruments were pre-tested to ensure reliability and validity before data collection. The collected data were analysed by use of descriptive quantitative statistics such as percentages and frequencies and the finding presented in form of figures and tables. The results were tabulated and analysed using SPSS version 23. The findings of the study revealed that poverty, low-income level of family, distance from home to school, repetitions, lack of school meals program food, school punishment, teenage pregnancy, high absenteeism, low academic achievements, indiscipline, pastoralism, and early marriage majorly being the main factors that influenced pupil’s dropout in the public primary. The study recommends the government allocate more funds to low-cost boarding schools and as well as absorb and uplift the status of any five of the day public primary schools as low-cost boarding primary schools. Also, the government to establish new public primary schools in villages with no learning institutions to allow all children in those areas to access education at their reach than traveling long distances to attend school. Besides, the school board of management should report cases of early marriages and teenage pregnancies practiced to law enforcers for necessary action to be instituted against the perpetrators of the immoral act. Again head teachers should organize education forums to educate the parents on the importance of education to the young generation in the future. The study recommends further research to be carried out a similar study on factors affecting learners’ drop out of public primary schools in other divisions in Turkana east sub-county can be conducted