Mwende, Kitungo E.2016-04-052016-04-052015-11http://erepository.mku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/2304The main purpose of the study was to investigate factors contributing to the day secondary school dropout in Enziu Division. The study was guided by the three objectives which were:To find out the economic factors contributing to the day secondary school dropout ; To find out school based factors contributing to the day secondary school dropout ; To find out socio - cultural factors contributing to the day secondary school dropout in Enziu Division, Mwingi North Sub – County. Descriptive survey research designs were employed in this study. For the purpose of this study, the target population was day Secondary school teachers and students. The entire Sub County has 20 public day secondary schools thus the target population comprised of 200 day Secondary school teachers and 3000 students. The total target population was 3200 in which the sample size of 360 respondents was drawn from.The sample size was 360 respondents. The researcher selected 11.5% of the target population as the sample size.The research instruments that were predominantly used are the Questionnaire. The researcher found out that the critical economic factor that was responsible for the students’ dropout from school was poverty. Child labour was also rampant and continued to keep students out of school, especially in the prevailing situation of poverty at the household level. Another economic factor was large size of family. Large numbers of children in a family of limited income resulted in overcrowding in the home and this in turn had a deleterious effect upon behavior since parents could not protect or supervise their young children as they might wish.Parent’s level of education was important for student’s educational support as suggested by the respondents. Lastly under economic factors, HIV/AIDS was the last factor that was slowing down the growth of the school aged population as supported by the respondents.School based factors that were found to lack of adequate resources such as classrooms, toilets, textbooks, desks and blackboards were found to influence dropout of students from school. Inadequate or poor physical facilities adversely affected the quality of education. Lack of facilities and poor hygiene affected both girls and boys, although poor sanitation conditions at schools had a stronger negative impact on girls. Teachers’ characteristics such as Teaching practice and behavior was particularly influencing pupil’s decision to drop out. Teachers did not prepare lessons, had no schemes of work, and left students’ assignments unmarked. Teachers were poorly paid than other sectors and were not paid in good time. The results was teacher absenteeism, lack of motivation or attrition where schools and teachers were forced to search for alternative incomes from parents or to use student labour; this situation had a negative impact, because it discouraged parents from sending school or shortens the time spent on teaching and learning thus causing students dropout. Socio-cultural attitudes and practices had a big influence on education. Women were perceived as suitable only for domestic chores and for marriage. Their power and security was linked to the ability to give birth and be mothers. On the other hand, males were resented as having a duty to protect and provide for their families. This attitude consequently made parents to opt to educate boys at the expense of girls. This was encouraged by the belief that the social roles for women in society did not require much of formal education. Circumcision was viewed as the gateway to adulthood. In Enziu Community, although circumcision for girls was not so rampant, few people were practiced it and once one had undergone this, they were ready for marriage and bringing up a family. In this community this rite has led to push-out girls from school.enEducationProject