| dc.description.abstract | The study sought to determine the extent to which availability of sanitation facilities, parental levels of income, incidences of sexual harassment, availability of role models, teenage pregnancies, support from teachers influence girls' dropouts in secondary schools in Masinga district. The study also sought to determine the extent to which child labour influences girls' dropouts in the district.
This study was guided by the Maslows hierarchy of needs theory. The theory postulates that all needs are structured in a hierarchy and only once a lower level need has been fairly met would one be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select the participants.
The sample consisted of 331 students, 30 principals and 30 Guidance and Counseling teachers. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Validity and reliability of the instruments were tested through a pilot study. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that availability of sanitation facilities was a serious cause of girls dropouts. This was confirmed by most of the students' respondents.
The parents' levels of income was rated as a very often cause of girls' dropouts. Most of the principals (66.7 %) felt that parents levels of income determined to a great extent the girls dropouts. The findings revealed that sexual harassment rarely influenced girls dropouts. This view was held by 50 percent of the principals who gave their views. Availability of role models influences to a lesser extent the rate of girls' dropouts as revealed by this study. Teenage pregnancy was identified as the greatest factor that causes girls dropouts.
Findings from this study show that 95.2 percent of the students felt that teenage pregnancy caused girls dropout. Lack of support from teachers does not influence girls' dropouts as revealed by this study. Most students (76.1 %) indicated that lack of teachers' support does not influence girls dropouts. Of the thirty guidance and counseling teachers 73.3 percent felt that lack of teachers support does not influence girls' dropouts.
The study concluded that girls' dropout in secondary schools in Masinga district is caused by a combination of factors such as Health and Sanitation facilities; Sexual harassment; Role models; Child labour; Parents' level of income and; Teenage pregnancies. It was also found out that Guidance and Counseling services are not effectively provided in most secondary schools in Masinga district.
The study had the following recommendations:
1. The government through the Ministry of education should mount training workshops for principals and guidance and counseling teachers on guidance and counseling. This will equip them with knowledge and skills to address most of the problems related to girls' dropouts like teenage pregnancy, sexual harassment, and role models.
2. Schools should provide adequate health and sanitation facilities especially through CDF, LATF, and PTA interventions. This will reduce girls' stress and reduce chances of girls' dropouts.
3. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds should be financially assisted through bursaries and other means to retain them in school. The study recommended further research on effects of availability of sanitation facilities and effectiveness of guidance and counseling on girls' dropouts in secondary schools. | en_US |
