Post secondary school career and training decisions in Kenya

Abstract

Post-secondary school career and training decisions among Kenyan School Leavers has to be analyzed in the context of the bigger problems of proper utilization 01' human resources, the most important resource in developing countries. Due to the rapid expansion in Secondary education and the relatively low rates of growth in training and employment opportunities, not all those who drop out of the education system after fourth form are assured of a promising or desired career. They have to make choices from a limited range of career openings. In doing this the School Leavers are expected to be guided by certain factors. Little is however known about these factors since adequate research has not been done to identify them. However, the few studies that have been done suggest that factors influencing school leavers' Career aspirations may be grouped into three broad categories: social, economic and educational factors. In this study we take the position that educational factors or the education sytem play the dominant role in influencing the school leavers' career aspirations. Therefore the schools aspirations. The present study aims-to improve our understanding of the factors influencing school leavers' career and training decisions. Emphasis Ls however given to the identification of social and education factors., To achieve this goal we The fieldwork was undertaken during the months of October and November 1981. The main findings of the study are that factors are diverse. However, they may be organized into social, economic and educational factors. The main social and educational factors we identified were the source of information about career opportunities, the sex of the school leaver, the attitudes and judgments of school leavers' parents, performance in the K.C.E. examination, the type of secondary school attended n d the efficiency of institutional guidance and counseling services. Apart from the social factors the schools leavers' of economics ia c i.o r s most of which are beyond the control of the sctool. Therefore, while the schools -could be used to help school leavers make realistic career decisions a policy package which focuses on a reexamine.na t Lon of the present educations c I system but which totally ignores the demand side of the labor market would achieve little in terms of developing the type of manpower resurrect to achieve the development goals of the economy_