A study of the factors affecting street children's enrolment and retention in primary schools

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study was to study the factors that affect the enrollment and retention of street children in primary schools. The study focused on factors such as age variation, lifestyle of street children on the streets, peer influence, the attitude of other students, teachers and the public in general towards street children, circumstances of street children's accommodation and the street children's family educational background. The sample population comprised of 110 street children who were already attending primary schools and who were placed in 8ahati rehabilitation center, and 140 street children who were still on the streets and who did not attend any primary school. The research instruments used for data collection were questionnaires, interviews and observation guide. The data collected was .analyzed using .descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. Since the researcher could not narrate every child's story, only one case study (from one child on the streets) was included in the report. The research findings showed that many street children had not gone to school because of their lifestyles on the streets. They had freedom to do whatever they wanted on the streets. Age variation was an issue to those on the streets, with 63% of them feeling that they could not go to the same class they were in before moving to the streets. Peerinfluence prevented some street children from going to school and leave the 'brotherhood'. Older street children discouraged the younger ones from going to school citing their own experiences and the unfulfilled promises made to them by the government. People's negative attitudes towards street children discouraged them from going to school. People generally treated them with suspicion and did not attempt to encourage them to better their lives. Consequently they became 'hardy'. The accommodation of most street children was in open areas where they were exposed to cold, rain, and harassment from the 'askaris'. With no water to shower or wash their clothes, they could not go to school in such a state. On average, the education of the parents was very basic and most of them were unemployed. Most of the parents were single mothers who were not well financed and had many children. These parents did not encourage their children to go back to school. The study recommends a further research on the reasons why other children in the same situation as street children have not gone to the streets. For policy makers, the researcher recommends that they should enrol street children in schools designed purely for street children to see whether they will be willing to go to school. The study also recommends that basic needs of the street children and the their parents should be met first before having them go to school.