Socio-economic Factors Affecting Enrolment of Male Students in Public Secondary Schools in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Abstract

The male student enrolment in Kirinyaga County has been increasing at a decreasing rate. It has been observed that more females than males are participating in education in secondary schools. This situation is unique and peculiar and a reversal of the gains made at primary levels where more male students than female students were enrolled. According to research students Enrolment is attributed to three basic socio-economic factors that is home based factors, school based factors and environmental based factors. Thus, this thesis is an attempt to determine the socio-economic factors that influence the Enrolment of male students at the secondary level of education in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The study had three objectives which were formulated to find out the effect and relationship between home based factors (parent education, household income, age) school based factors (cost of education, education resources, managerial skills of head teacher) and environmental based factors (youth and adult based economic activities, alcohol and substance abuse). The study employed cross sectional survey as a research design based on primary data collected among the participating standard eight students who completed school in the year 2014. The target population consisted of 6317 standard eight male students, the 2014 cohort from 195 public secondary schools. The research was based on literature review of studies and reports from different scholars, which affirmed that certain issues affecting male student enrolment were closely correlated with home based factors, school based factors and environmental based factors. The tracer method of data collection was used to collect data in which students were traced from their homesteads, secondary schools and place of work. Data collection was based on sample size of 395 of which 395 questionnaires were administered and 352 responded. The analysis applied included inferential statistics and descriptive analysis in analyzing and interpretation of the data. The results from the findings indicated that household income, parental education, parental occupation, availability of adult and youth based activities, lack of education resources and distance from school influenced the low Enrolment of male students in secondary schools in Kirinyaga County, Central Region of Kenya. The recommendation from the study were that (a) households be encouraged to do savings and investment so as to increase the house hold income and therefore provide for education requirements for both primary and secondary schools. This will increase the level of enrolment which will lead to accumulated human capital hence spiral economic effects in all sectors of the economy. (b) More emphasis should be exerted toward boy-child education in order to enhance his enrolment in secondary school in Kenya. (c) The school managers, teachers and stakeholders should be trained and on the need to enhance gender balance in enrolment and offer guidance and counseling to the boy-child on the importance of education. (d) The urgent need to eradicate manufacturing and consumption of illicit brews, as well as the requirement of tuition free secondary education.