Factors affecting participation rates of students in public Secondary schools in kamwangi division of gatundu district Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate challenges influencing participation rates of students in secondary schools in Kamwangi division of Gatundu district using the descriptive survey design. Simple random and Purposeful sampling were used in the selection of schools that were used in the study. Two girls' boarding schools were randomly selected from the population of the four schools. A total of 10 principals, 26 class teachers and 116 students were selected for the study. The main research instrument used in the study was the questionnaires. According to the findings, school-based factors influencing participation rates included indiscipline cases, students forced to repeat classes due poor performance and send away for fees and due to long distance of their homestead from school. Home-basediCommunity-based factors on participation rates included, helping in domestic chores, parents type of occupation, position of the student in the family, joining religious sects, contracting IIIV virus and taking care of relatives who are sick with aids. Economic factors to participation rates included, parents inability to pay fees, parents withdrawing their children from school in order to have them engaged in income generating activities, labour market conditions and level of financing education by the government and other stakeholders. Individual/natural factors that influenced participation rates included loosing learning capabilities as a result of accidents and when students consider themselves as old. Government policy affecting participation of students included, requirement that pregnant girls stop going to school until after delivery and bursary programmes and free secondary education. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made: Measures should be put in place to ensure that while going after fees defaulters, students are not forced out of school. Schools should revise their policies on repetition to ensure that students are not forced out of school in the process. Parents and communities should be sensitized on the need for their children to acquire education. That students infected and affected by the HIV /AIDS pandemic be given the support they need to continue with their education. The level of financing of education by the government and other stakeholders should be increased. The requirement that pregnant girls stop going to school until after delivery should be revised so that girls are not forced out of school. Students should be provided with career guidance and counselling services to enable them make informed choices. Taking the limitations and delimitations of the study, it was suggested that a study should be conducted to establish how parental level of education contributes to low participation rates in schools. Another study should be conducted on the government policy on teacher deployment to establish how it affects students' participation in secondary schools. Finally since this study was carried out in one rural setting, a similar study should be conducted in an urban setting and the results compared.