| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of the study was to investigate challenges influencing participation rates of
students in secondary schools in Kamwangi division of Gatundu district using the
descriptive survey design. Simple random and Purposeful sampling were used in the
selection of schools that were used in the study. Two girls' boarding schools were
randomly selected from the population of the four schools. A total of 10 principals, 26
class teachers and 116 students were selected for the study. The main research instrument
used in the study was the questionnaires. According to the findings, school-based factors
influencing participation rates included indiscipline cases, students forced to repeat classes
due poor performance and send away for fees and due to long distance of their homestead
from school. Home-basediCommunity-based factors on participation rates included,
helping in domestic chores, parents type of occupation, position of the student in the
family, joining religious sects, contracting IIIV virus and taking care of relatives who are
sick with aids. Economic factors to participation rates included, parents inability to pay
fees, parents withdrawing their children from school in order to have them engaged in
income generating activities, labour market conditions and level of financing education by
the government and other stakeholders. Individual/natural factors that influenced
participation rates included loosing learning capabilities as a result of accidents and when
students consider themselves as old. Government policy affecting participation of students
included, requirement that pregnant girls stop going to school until after delivery and
bursary programmes and free secondary education. Based on the findings of the study, the
following recommendations were made: Measures should be put in place to ensure that
while going after fees defaulters, students are not forced out of school. Schools should
revise their policies on repetition to ensure that students are not forced out of school in the
process. Parents and communities should be sensitized on the need for their children to
acquire education. That students infected and affected by the HIV /AIDS pandemic be given
the support they need to continue with their education. The level of financing of education
by the government and other stakeholders should be increased. The requirement that
pregnant girls stop going to school until after delivery should be revised so that girls are not
forced out of school. Students should be provided with career guidance and counselling
services to enable them make informed choices. Taking the limitations and delimitations of
the study, it was suggested that a study should be conducted to establish how parental level
of education contributes to low participation rates in schools. Another study should be
conducted on the government policy on teacher deployment to establish how it affects
students' participation in secondary schools. Finally since this study was carried out in one
rural setting, a similar study should be conducted in an urban setting and the results
compared. | en |
