The Effects of Environmental Based Socio-economic Factors on Enrollment of Male Student in Secondary School in Kirinyaga County Central Region of Kenya

Abstract

The male student enrollment in Kirinyaga County, Central region of Kenya has been increasing at a decreasing rate. It has been observed that more females than males are participating in education in secondary schools. This situation is unique and peculiar and a reversal of the gains made at primary levels where more male students than female students were enrolled. According to research, students enrollment is attributed to socio-economic factors that are home based factors in nature. Thus, this study is an attempt to determine the socio-economic factors that influence the enrollment of male students at the secondary level of education in Kirinyaga County, Central region of Kenya. The objective of the study was to find out the effects and relationship between home-based socio-economic factors and male student enrollment. The study employed cross sectional survey as a research design based on primary data collected among the participating standard eight students who completed primary school in the year 2014. The target population consisted of 12,195 standard eight students, (2014 cohort) from 195 public primary schools. The research was based on literature review of studies and reports from various scholars, which affirmed that certain issues affecting male student enrollment were closely correlated with home based factors. Data collection was based on sample size of 391 of which 391 questionnaires were administered and 352 responded. The analysis applied included inferential statistics, descriptive analysis and interpretation of the data. The results from the findings indicated that household income, parental education, parental occupation, influenced the low enrollment of male students in secondary schools in Kirinyaga County. The study recommended that, households be encouraged to do savings and investment so as to increase the house hold income and therefore provide for education requirements for both primary and secondary schools.