| dc.description.abstract | The Kenyan country can only advance in the presence of basic literacy of numeracy skills among its populace. There is evidence through research that provision of quality universal education to the country is important,to the achievement of the national goals. Universal Secondary Education (FSE) was initiated in Kenya in 2008. Several attempts have been made to implement the policy since then and it has had a positive impact in terms of the enrolment rates in secondary schools. Under the programme, all tuition fees and levies have been abolished.
Currently Kshs. 1020 is being disbursed for each student annually so as to cover teaching and leaving costs. Despite this, the retention rate of students in schools has been a challenge. There had been marked increase in school drop out and poor retention rate in secondary schools in kinangop district. This had been associated with various factors such as lack of enough infrastructural facilities, lack of school fees, and lack of food, family backgrounds and poor guidance and counseling services.
Reports at the district education office indicated that roughly 150 students drop out of secondary schools every year. Lack of fees was also documented as one of the most common reason for poor retention of students in the district. The research design used in this study was descriptive survey.
The study aimed at collecting information from respondents on their attitudes and opinions in relation to retention rate of students in schools. The data was collected through interviewing and administering questionnaires to a sample of individuals. From the findings of the study, retention of students in schools depends on provision of fees, availability of infrastructural facilities, provision of quality guidance and counseling services and more so the discipline of students in that school.
Provision of free secondary education has not played a major role in retaining students in school like guidance and counseling has in the era of no corporal punishment and moral decay in the societies. There is therefore a great need to provide a totally free education to ease the burden of paying fees by the parents and also strengthen the guidance and counseling bodies in schools. | en_US |
