A Study of factors influencing children enrolment in pre-school Education in Thogoto and Karai zones in Kikiuyu Division , District , Kiambu County - Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the constraints on enrolment to Early Childhood Education and Development in Thogoto and Karai Zones in Kikuyu District. The study is based on both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The data for the study was obtained from the school records, well administered questionnaires, interviews and observations .Questionnaires were administered to 36 respondents comprising of head teachers, Directors and Parents of 12 schools which were purposely selected, 6 in Thogoto Zone and 6 in Karai zone. The data was analyzed using simple percentages and frequency distribution tables to answer the questions that were posed by the researcher. The study established that there is low enrolment rate of children in Early childhood Education Institutions in Thogoto and Karai Zones of Kikuyu District due to some highlighted factors such as poor infrastructure, parents’ ignorance on the importance of Early childhood Education, Parents’ level of education, parents’ economic status as a result of poor climatic conditions among other constraints. The study concluded that, there are number of factors affecting children’s enrolment in pre-schools. The study recommended that parents, local leaders and the stakeholders should be mobilized to come up with strategies that would enhance enrolment levels to early childhood Education and Development in the two zones. The study further recommends that, the government should incorporate Early Childhood Education and Development programme into the Free Primary Education and Education for All policies to relieve pre-school parents of the burden they have to bear while enrolling their children in Early Childhood Education in Thogoto and Karai Zones