| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to establish the impact of children's orphanhood on the management of school discipline in public primary schools in Siaya District. The objectives of the study were: to establish the impact of lack of parental guidance among orphaned children on the management of school discipline, examine how basic needs (food, shelter and clothes) impacts on children's orphan hood on the management of School discipline among the orphaned children, determine the impact of peer pressure on the management of school discipline among the orphaned children, and to assess the impact of coping behavior on the management of school discipline among orphaned children. The study was based on the Maslow's hierarchical theory of needs. The study used the descriptive survey design to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population for this study consisted of 36 public primary schools, 36 headteachers, 650 teachers and 13,702 pupils of which 1620 are orphans. The sample was selected using stratified random sampling of 20 percent of all primary schools in the district. Purposively, one headteacher, 7 teachers and 10 pupils were selected from each of the sampled schools. The sample therefore consisted of20 headteachers 140 teachers and 200 pupils. The research instruments that were used in this study included questionnaires which had structured, closed - ended and open ended questions, they achieved a return rate of 99%. The researcher used SPSS to analyze data using descriptive statistics to generate frequencies and percentages. Study findings show that lack of parental guidance affected the orphans in schools implying that orphanhood was an issue that required special attention in schools as Orphans were affected by a number of issues including high dropout rate, absenteeism, malnutrition, low self esteem and lack of confidence. Orphans lacked food, clothes, beddings, shoes, shelter, water, and uniforms. Orphanhood had not been stigmatized in schools in the district however a number of the orphans were subjected to mistreatment in schools. Orphans succumb to peer-pressure and get into alcoholism, petty crimes, pre-marital sex, early pregnancy, drug abuse, child labor, earlier marriages, prostitution, smoking and theft. There are very few children's homes with inadequate facilities to take care of the needs of the orphans. Based on this findings, the researcher, therefore, recommends that the government should set aside funds for orphans for the provision of basic facilities needed in schools, That headteachers should establish types of requirements for orphaned children in schools and mobilize school communities to support them, That the government considers introducing adequate children's homes in the district, That the Ministry of Education introduces Guidance and Counseling departments in all primary schools in the district. That the Ministry of Education introduces School Feeding Programmes in schools in the district. Given the objective scope and limitation of the study, the study suggested that a national wide survey be conducted on impact of children's orphanhood on the management of school discipline thereby establishing a policy on dealing with orphanhood in schools, That study be conducted on the effects of orphanhood on pupils' academic performance in the district, that a replica of this study should be carried out within the context of secondary schools to investigate impact of orphanhood on the management of school discipline | |
