| dc.description.abstract | This thesis was an investigation of the factors
which influence the drop-out rates among secondary
school students in the Nandi District of Kenya (See
Map 1). The study was guided by a theoretical framework
based on socia-economic, cultural and regional
differences indicative of patterns of inequalities in
~he distribution of resources in the society. It is
from this framework that independent vari3~les explaining
the dependent variable, drop-out rates were
generated. The independent and dependent variables
are specified in the context of several hypothesis
that were tested.
A major justification for this study is that
to date the issue of drop-out rates has been almost
wholly centred at the primary level of education.
Hence there is need to ascertain whether the same
explanation of this issue applies at secondary school
leve 1.
Chapter One starts with the general introduction
and the background of the thesis. Here, the detailed
and diverse litera ure on historical and current developm
n S 0 f the region uncler s udy have been exam ined to
give the r'3dcr he actual picture of th region and
h'nce 3 be er understat ding of the issue in que tLon.
It is in Ch.ip t er T·..Jo '.vh ere heord:Lchl f ramewo rk .akes
(v)
account of socio-economic, cultural and regional
differentiations in the context of historical
developments and contemporary sociological theories
and changes explaining and affecting provision of
education, and therefore, influencing the extend
of drop-out rates. Chapter Three which deals with
methodology starts by highlighting the research
area and then proceeds to explain techniques of
data collection, sampling procedure, specification
of variables and ends by stating the hypotheses.
Ou~ empirical analyses and policy implications
showed an integrated historical basis in
the process of present regional disparities in
education and socio-economic development. It is
argued that the development of social differentia-
~tion in the Kenyan society emerged as a result of
the policies and progran~es pursued in the precolonial
and colonial periods, thus culminating
in well demarcated social classes in the postindependence
period.
Statistical analyses in Chapter Four
verified those arguments and showed that differences
in sex, Levels of aspiration, attitudes,
parental level of education, school type, category
and quality were by far the most important variables
influencing the rate of cducation~l wastage as a
(vi)
result of dropping out of the school system. However,
differences in family income, regional development
and students' attendance basis did not show any signicant
relationship with the rate of dropping out of
school.
It was from those findings and interpretations
that we drew up some proposals and recommendations in
Chapter Five which we thought would provide the best
avenues required in the improvement in reduction of
educational wastage through high school drop-outs. | en |
