The impact of home town environment on Kenya Certificate of Primary Education performance in public schools in Chuka Division, Tharaka Nithi County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of home environment on Kenya Certificate of Primary Education performance in primary school in Chuka division of Tharaka Nithi County. The study was guided by four objectives. Data was collected using questionnaires and this was supplemented by observation. The collected data was quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. The findings revealed that noisy home environment, lack of reading space, long distances between home and school adversely affected pupils' performance. It was also observed that pupils wasted much time going home for lunch, while some walked barefooted and were shabbily dressed, and a few cases reported of absenteeism among pupils were never well addressed by the school administration from some of sampled schools. Based on the findings, the study recommends that parents should monitor dressing and cleanliness of their children by buying them shoes and ensuring that they are not shabbily dressed for school. Hygiene is important element in for effectual learning. The study also recommends that public school administrators should ensure they understand the causes of pupils' absenteeism and address any underlying issue in collaboration with the parents.