| dc.description.abstract | Education is considered as one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty,
give people opportunity to improve their lives and raise their voice, improve
their health, productivity and fosters participation in civil society. The purpose
of this study was to investigate the influence of cattle rustling on quality of
education in public secondary schools in Samburu East District, Samburu
County, Kenya. The study sought to determine how cattle rustling affect
academic performance in public secondary schools and syllabus coverage in
these secondary schools. In addition the study also examined how cattle
rustling have affected student retention rates in public secondary and its effects
on student class attendance. This study was conducted at Uaso boys secondary
school, Wamba Boys High School and Wamba Girls High School, Samburu
east district–Samburu County, Kenya with a target population of 809 students,
46 teachers and 3 principals. Descriptive research survey design was employed
whereby 81 students, 10 teachers and 3 principals were sampled. Qualitative
and quantitative data were collected by use of a questionnaire. All analyses
were descriptive in nature. The respondents also show determination to receive
education through their recommendations. 34% want security improved, 27%
feel that addition of teachers would improve syllabus coverage is necessary,
18% feel that involvement of parents in school activities for development,13%
feel that avoiding interruption of learning process in schools is possible while
8% feel that the cattle rustling menace should stop. These statistics show the
conclusive desire to access quality, formal education; which has been
hampered by cattle rustling activities. The first objective of this study was to
determine the effect of cattle rustling on academic performance in public
secondary schools in Samburu East District. The respondents felt that the
students performed averagely and this was represented by 52% while 43%
performed poorly and only 5% of schools performed well. The second
objective was to establish how cattle rustling have affected student retention
rates in public secondary schools, the findings indicate that 24% of them drop
out of school, 22% said it causes low performance, 18% said it causes lack of
fees making them not to go to school, 17% said it causes absenteeism and low
attendance in class and 16% causes death and only 3% said it causes lack of
concentration in class. The third objective was to establish how cattle rustling
influences student class attendance in public secondary schools. The findings
indicate that 58% of the respondents felt that the reason for low attendance was
due to insecurity caused by cattle rustling, while 19% was due to the distance
to school, 10% was due to parent’s negligence, 8% thought it was due to
sickness while 1% felt it was insufficient funds, inadequate learning facilities
in schools and lack of school fees.The fourth objective was to establish
influence of cattle rustling on syllabus coverage. The findings indicate that
38% of the respondents felt that cattle rustling caused delays in opening of
schools hence poor syllabus coverage,30% felt that it caused absenteeism of
teachers and students hence lack of proper syllabus coverage,14% felt that it
caused lack of school fees making most of the student to drop out of
school,12% felt that it caused insecurity hence causing destruction of
infrastructure and reading materials in school causing lack of proper syllabus
coverage and only 6% felt that the disturbance from the community camping
in classrooms due to cattle rustling paralyzes learning causing the delay in
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covering syllabus. The study recommends the government, through local
leaders as well as senior education and security stakeholders to hold
reconciliatory meetings between the communities involved in cattle rustling so
as to promote peace in the area. This should mainly be targeted towards
Samburu, Pokot and Somali tribes which come from the environs around
Samburu East Districts. Efforts should be put in sensitizing these communities
on maintaining peace in their pastoral activities. Alternative economic
activities should also be introduced to supplement pastoralism and reduce
pressure on pastoralism. Improving the security around schools would also
safeguard learning infrastructure in the schools and reduce interruptions to
learning processes. The security would allow the deployment of more teachers
in the school and improve syllabus coverage. These would collectively
improve the quality of education in public secondary schools in Samburu East
District | en |
