Factors influencing transition rate of girls from lower primary to upper primary: a case of public primary schools in Enkorika Division, Kajiado County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence the girls' transition rate from lower primary to upper primary in public primary schools of Enkorika Division in Kajiado County, Kenya. Four research objectives were formulated to guide this study. Literature review focused on international calls on girl's education, girl's education among the pastoral communities and the girl's education in Kenya and Africa at large. The study focused on the factors that influence girls' education which include the socio-cultural factors, socio-economic factors, school based factors and early teenage pregnancies which includes the flight of the girls due to the effects of HIV / AIDS and FGM.

The study used the descriptive survey design. The target population for the study was all the head teachers and class six girls from all the fourteen public pry schools in Enkorika division of Kajiado County. The sample for the study was fourteen head teachers, and all girls in class six from the selected schools. Data was collected using questionnaires. The study. found out that FGM, early marriage and pregnancies had the highest influence on the girls' transition rates as compared to the other factors. The other factor influencing girls' transition rate as per this study findings was lack of female teachers in that most of the teachers were males as evidenced in the demographic data of headteachers where out of the 14 sampled schools all were male.

The lack of parental encouragement and motivation was another factor influencing the girls' transition rate as per these study findings. As per the study findings, the government needs take action and put measures to deal with those who practice FGM and those responsible for the girls' pregnancies. A heavy punishment should be imposed on these perpetrators in terms of a jail sentence in order to have more girls retained in schools as FGM and pregnancies were found to have the highest percentage on the influence of the low transition rate of girls in Enkorika division. The Ministry of Education in conjunction with the administrative units in Enkorika division should have a policy whereby girls are booked for school instead of booking them for marriage as is common in this pastoralist area. Consequently the government should employ more female teachers in Enkorika division as the study found out that most girls would leave school since they did not have role models in the figure of female teachers. In fact, more females should be deployed as headteachers in Enkorika division.