Protection-based factors influencing Boy-child participaton in primary schools in Lolgorian division, Narok county

Abstract

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the United Nations on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989) both state that all children have a right to education. This is underscored by the current Education for All (EFA) initiative which seeks to ensure that by 2015 “all children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to education of good quality”. The INEE states that education in emergencies and during chronic crises and early reconstruction, can be both life-saving and life-sustaining, providing physical, psychosocial and cognitive protection.The purpose of the study was to establish protection-based factors influencing boy-child participation in primary education in Lolgorian division, Narok County.This study was guided by the following specific objectives. To establish the extent to which physical protection influences boy-child participation in primary education in Lolgorian Division, Narok County.The study found out that the boy child was attacked on his way to school,and the school was not physically safe. The second objective was to assess the extent to which psychosocial protection influences boy-child participation in primary education in Lolgorian Division, Narok County.The study found out that the boy child suffered trauma during ethnic conflicts leading to low self esteem. Lastly, to determine the extent to which cognitive protection influences boy-child participation in primary education inLolgorian Division, Narok County.The study found out that the content that was learnt in school was not relevant to the needs of the boy child. The teachers were ill trained in subjects such as lifeskills and human rights .The study therefore recommended that there was need to make schools to be safe by providing enough security.Boys also should be escorted to and from school.Play,art music and drama should be provided during and after conflicts so that the boy can be psychologically healed hence suffer less trauma. Teachers should be given refresher courses on how to effectively teach life skills and child rights. In conclusion, the boy child should be made safe the way their female counterparts are. More campaigns should be conducted to sensitize the communities on the importance of making boy child education more secure. The researcher employed descriptive design. Descriptive design sought to uncover the nature of factors involved in a given situation, the degree in which it existed and the relationship between them.The study population constituted 28 head teachers, 120 teachers and 800 school going boys. The study used simple random sampling technique to draw a sample from the study population. Data collection was from two main sources; primary and secondary. Secondary sources included relevant documents and reports. The semi –structured questionnaire and structured questionnaire were the main instrument of the study administered to the respondents.The study‟s major conclusion was that boys, just like girls need to be protected by making them equally access education. They should be furnished with knowledge and information about child rights and defence mechanisms when they and their families are under attack during ethnic conflicts.