Influence of Motorcycle (Bodaboda) Business on Pupils’ Drop-out in Public Primary Schools in Rangwe Sub County, Homa-bay County, Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya, high rate of unemployment among youths have constituted them to engage in Bodaboda business as a result leading to school drop out. The main focus of the study was to investigate the influence of motorcycle (bodaboda) l business l on l pupils’ l dropout l rates l in l primary l education l in l Rangwe l Sub l County l in l Homa l Bay l County. l The studyl was l guided l by l the l research l objectives; l to find out whether gender related issues influence school drop out in Rangwe sub-county in Homa Bay County, to assess the extent to which mode of transport (Bodaboda) influence pupils drop out in Rangwe Sub – County in Homa Bay County, to evaluate how the location of a school influence school drop out in Rangwe Sub County in Homa Bay County and to investigate the influence of socio- economic factors (parents’ level of education, level of income and peer pressure) on school drop out in public primary schools in Rangwe sub – county in Homa Bay County. The l study l was l based l on l Tinto’s l Model l of l student l retention. l The l research l adopted l descriptive l survey l design l with a l target l population l comprising of l 120 l public l primary l schools, l 120 l head l teachers, l 428 l teachers’ l and l 8277 l class l six, l seven l and l eight l pupils’ l as l well l as l an l approximate l of l 600 l boda l boda l operators. l Stratified l random l sampling l was l used l to l arrive l at l schools l to l participate l in l the l study l by l dividing l the l target l population l of l schools l into l six l strata l on l the l basis l of l the l six l zones l in l Rangwe l Sub l County. l Census l sampling l approach l was l used l to l sample l head l teachers l in l the l sampled l schools, whilele l random l sampling l was l used l to l sample l teachers l and l pupils l from l the l selected l schools. l Therefore, l the l total l sample l of l the l study l comprised of l 12 l head l teachers, l 43 l teachers’ l 828 l pupils l and l 60 l boda l boda l operators. l The l researcher l used l questionnaires and interview schedulesl to l collect l quantitative l and l qualitative l data. l Validity l was l also l established l during l piloting l while l the l reliability l was l also l tested l using l test-retest l technique l to l get l a l coefficient l correlation l of l 0.84. l Descriptive l statistics l were l used l to l analyze l qualitative l and l quantitative l data. l The study established that gender related issues had a significant effect on pupils’ dropout rates in primary schools. The study further established that the use of motorcycle transport was a determinant on pupils’ dropout rates furthermore, in primary education. Further, the study established that most parents were unable to raise adequate funds to pay school levies for their children. Moreover, the distance from home to school, mode of transport, lack of money and insecurity influenced pupils’ dropout rates in primary schools. The study recommends among others that the school administration and other stakeholders should come up with programs and forums to enlighten parents on the importance and challenges of pupils’ education. A study should be carried out to find out the possible policies that can be put in place to improve the completion rates of pupils in primary schools in Kenya.